Rekindling Old Flames - Lighting New Fires
by WitchHatsFTW
Summary: Ryuuko never expected to see Senketsu again, so when she receives word that both he and Nui had somehow survived the final fight, she rushes to his side. However, once he awakens, she realizes something's wrong; He's lost his memories. Through interrogation, Satsuki finds that Nui is in a similar state. Is it possible to start anew, or will old emotions get in the way? [Re-Upload]
1. Storm Clouds

_**Disclaimer: Kill La Kill and all associated characters, settings, and concepts are property of Trigger Animation and I claim no ownership.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Storm Clouds<strong>

The dark clouds overhead rumbled warnings of oncoming rain as they loomed over the bustling city below. People, rushing to get home or otherwise beat the inevitable downpour, were shoving past each other and moving in crowds through the city streets.

On one of the corners sat a quaint little cafe. The shop itself was honestly nothing special. An old, faded sign with the name "Kasen's" written on it in both kanji and romanji hung above the clear glass door with a shoddy plastic "open/closed" sign hanging on it. It was flipped to "open" at the moment, but only two customers sat within, and the counter appeared unmanned.

Anyone looking into the cafe at this point- though it's doubtful anyone was paying the small shop any mind- would have seen a teen girl with slightly unkempt, black hair with a single, red streak in the front stand up abruptly.

Anyone else in the cafe would have heard her speak.

"What did you say?"

The words came out more angry than shocked, and for a second, the unsuspecting messenger was very much afraid that he was about to get decked in the face by the hot-headed teen. It was a distinct possibility, given the nature of the information he just gave her.

Also, she had grabbed him and pinned him against the counter.

Matoi Ryuuko was gripping the messenger's collar tightly, and she had an intense look in her eyes that hadn't been there since the she defeated Ragyou. He didn't know this, of course. He hadn't known the hot-tempered teen then. He had, however, heard rumors of her attitude, and all things considered, he would like to survive this encounter with all of his teeth.

He was trying to consider whether ignoring Ryuuko would be more or less beneficial to that plan as opposed to repeating himself.

"OI! You gonna tell me what you just said, or am I gonna have to punch you?" Ryuuko asked, clenching her fists tighter.

That answered his question immediately.

"U-uh…. Ma-Matoi-san… Satsuki-s-sama sent me to inform you that… uh…" the messenger paused, gulping, "th-that Harime Nui is alive…"

"WHAT!?" Ryuuko yelled, picking up the messenger in anger, "Are you kiddin' me?"

"N-no… P-please put me down, I'm just the messenger-boy!" the man begged.

Ryuuko sighed, took a few deep breaths, and lowered the poor man to the ground. She really, really wanted to hit him, or the wall, or really anything, but she realized that she would just be taking her anger out on things that way.

As she thought about what the messenger just told her, as she rolled it around in her mind, she went back to the moment the pink-clad girl supposedly died.

Well, absorbed would be more accurate, though with the defeat of Ragyou, Ryuuko assumed that all traces of the insufferable, insane doll-like girl were destroyed.

"How?" Ryuuko asked after a long silence.

"W-what?" The messenger asked.

"How the hell is she alive?" Ryuuko clarified.

"Well, uh… Satsuki-sama didn't exactly-"

The messenger didn't so much as get to finish his statement before he was introduced to Ryuuko's fist with enough force to send him flying into the nearby wall.

"Looks like it's time to pay my dear sister a visit…" she spoke to no one in particular as she turned to the door of the cafe. If the man she just clocked was still conscious, and she highly doubted it, the next thing she said had been so quietly whispered that she doubted he could hear it, "If she's alive… then… Senketsu…."

* * *

><p>"Have any of them woken up at all yet?"<p>

Satsuki's voice startled Iori, who was standing over two unconscious figures, a medical chart in his hands. He wasn't exactly a doctor, but upon closer inspection, this wasn't exactly a hospital either. It was the Kiryuin Mansion, or at least, the part left standing after Satsuki decided to burn every last thing related to her deranged mother. Every piece of equipment, every room built specifically for Life Fiber-related purposes went up in smoke. The mansion was in the process of being rebuilt, but enough of the rooms had remained that Satsuki still had plenty of space for herself and her friends.

At the moment, it was being used as a makeshift infirmary for three very unusual guests.

One of them was a girl with a familiar face and a very distinct eyepatch. Her head, as well as her arms, appeared to have been sewn back on, having Life Fibers running through her skin like a seam. Both Satsuki and Iori were unsure who was behind that stunt, but it was possible it was the other, more mysterious guest.

"No, at least, not these two. I can't really tell about that one," In the darkness of the room, the bed Iori pointed to looked empty, but the dark figure of what appeared to be a girl's school uniform rested on a hospital bed as well, "If he's woken up, he hasn't moved, and I wouldn't be able to hear him if he's said anything."

Satsuki nodded, "And what of this…. man. I've never seen him before, but you say he's-"

"A life-fiber hybrid, yes," Iori confirmed, "I've compared the life-fiber distribution in his body to the records we have of your sister, as well as Harime Nui. It would seem he was created in a similar fashion as Nui."

Satsuki never remembered once seeing this man. Her mother never revealed him to her, and her father never once warned her of him. There was only one logical conclusion to draw from this knowledge.

"I can only assume he was not affiliated with or working for Ragyou… however, if he's the one who stitched Nui back together, it's possible he is our enemy. Please take measures to insure he is restrained."

"Consider it done, Satsuki," Iori replied.

Nui had already been restrained, and the moment she woke up, Satsuki would move her to a holding cell. The now-short-haired woman wasn't entirely sure what she'd do about Nui long-term, though considering the girl was unconscious now, it didn't matter.

"Call me when she wakes up, Iori," Satsuki requested, turning her attention briefly to the pony-tailed man fiddling with the other "guest"s restraints.

Iori simply nodded, and Satsuki left the room, adding, though more to herself than to Iori, "I have a feeling I'll have a visitor very soon."

* * *

><p>"Tea?" Satsuki offered her sister. It wasn't a rare occurrence for the two to spend time together, yet every time Satsuki offered her home up to her little sister, Ryuuko would reject the offer politely. Her excuses were getting weaker, starting at "I don't like that kind of stuffy life-style" to simply, "I'd be a pain to move my stuff in". Satsuki was well aware Ryuuko was a minimalist when it came to belongings. Her latest excuse had simply been a shrug and a "I'll think about it, but probably not".<p>

Of course, this time they hadn't come to discuss Ryuuko's living arrangements.

"Don't screw with me, Satsuki!" Ryuuko spat, "You know why I came here!"

Satsuki nodded, "Yes, and that's why I'm offering you tea. I want you to be calm when I explain the situation."

Ryuuko and sighed, taking the tea offered to her by Soroi.

"So," Ryuuko began after taking a long sip, "Nui's alive…."

Satsuki hesitated for a bit before finally answering, "Well, yes… though she's been unconscious since two nights ago-"

"Wait, you found her TWO nights ago!?" Ryuuko jumped up and slammed her hands down on the table, "You didn't tell me sooner!?"

"I… we needed to perform medical tests to determine if she actually was alive, for starters. I had Iori run some tests as well. We've determined that, however it happened, it's definitely Harime Nui, and she's very much alive."

Ryuuko clenched her fists, but Satsuki held up her hand, "That's the bad news."

"So, there's good news?" Ryuuko asked, the faintest glimmers of hope in her voice.

Satsuki nodded, "You've probably already considered the possibility- if Nui survived after what we saw, wouldn't there be at least a bit of hope that Senketsu survived as well? Well… I think he might have."

"W-what!? Really!?" Ryuuko's eyes widened.

Iori's voice came from behind Satsuki, echoing in the large foyer, "It's… a possibility. Externally, he appears whole… however, there's been absolutely no activity from him whatsoever…. moreover… we're not entirely sure it's Senketsu. It definitely looks like him… but I don't-"

"Take me to him!" Ryuuko's voice was urgent, "I want to see him!"

Iori looked over at Satsuki, who nodded, and he turned around, "Follow me, then. Also, Satsuki… Nui…"

He looked over at Ryuuko hesitantly, but Satsuki threw him a reassuring smile.

"Nui has woken up."

* * *

><p>When Ryuuko saw Senketsu on the medical bed, her heart immediately skipped three beats. There was no mistaking it. He was there. She could feel him, even though he was sleeping, and she could tell he was very much alive.<p>

"It's definitely him," She confirmed, tears in her eyes, "And I can feel it, he's alive!"

Satsuki was never one to show her own emotions easily, let alone openly empathize with others, but seeing her sister reunite with the garment brought about a strange feeling of happiness in her. Even as her sister quite abruptly rushed to the uniform and hugged him, an alarmed Iori following after her, she couldn't help but smile.

"I bet he needs blood!" Ryuuko replied urgently, "Iori, you think you could- never mind!"

In her impatience, Ryuuko pulled out a small pocket knife out of nowhere and sliced her finger open, letting a few drops fall onto Senketsu.

"I already tried to feed him, but-" Iori began, a bit too late. However, just as he spoke, Senketsu's eye shot open, and Ryuuko smiled, tears in her eyes.

"I don't care how it happened, I'm glad you're alive, Senketsu!" Ryuuko clutched the garment happily.

Senketsu looked down at the girl hugging him, sitting there for a long while before finally replying with words that broke Ryuuko's heart.

"Who… who are you?"

**_To be continued..._**

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><p><strong>AN: Hey! This looks familiar!<strong>

**For those who recognize this story from before (and are confused by it's reappearance)... turns out, somehow this story got deleted. I don't know what happened to it and honestly I'm not very happy about it, but it's not like I can do anything about it besides reuploading.**

**Unfortunately, I had the whole story as one solid file, and I didn't label where it broke up into chapters (nor did I name them), so chapter titles and breaking points in the chapters might vary slightly from the original, but I'm not changing any of the actual text.**

**If you've reviewed the old story before, I'd appreciate it if you went and left a review here as well, and it you're new to the story, then new reviews are always appreciated. Normally I like to leave Author's Notes at the end of each chapter, but since this is a re-upload and I'm probably gonna repost all the chapters at once, there's no need.**


	2. Rain

**Chapter 2: Rain**

Satsuki was staring at the still-open doors of her mansion with a blank look on her face. Upon realizing that Senketsu didn't remember her, Ryuuko had run off, tears in her eyes, to who knows where.

Though if Satsuki were to guess, it was probably to Mako.

Satsuki, of course, didn't hear what Senketsu said, however, Ryuuko had given her a big enough hint when she muttered, almost whispered, "How can you not remember me?"

Satsuki sighed, reaching out to close the doors of her mansion, when the beginnings of rain began wetting the path outside. As she watched the rain cover up whatever was left of her sister's tears, she closed the doors completely and turned around.

"She just needs some time to sort things out. Let's go talk to Harime-_san_, shall we?"

Iori nodded, and the two made their way into the medical room where she was being held. Iori had moved each one of the "guests" to a separate room to prevent any incidents between the unconscious parties should they have woken up and decided they were going to try to kill each other.

Satsuki glared at the girl staring blankly at the ceiling. She looked the same, but so, so very different given the current circumstances. She wasn't clad in her usual pink attire, instead dressed in a plain white hospital robe, and her incredibly long hair was let down, falling over the sides of the bed in wavy half-curls.

Her blue eye, normally gleaming with either gleeful indifference or sadistic pleasure, was glazed over with a ghostly emptiness. Satsuki, for the first time in her life, shuddered when that eye met her stern gaze.

Still, though unnerved, she barely faltered, and without skipping a beat she swiftly walked over to the bed and grabbed the remote that controlled the bed's incline. She brought the restrained girl into an inclined position and met her empty gaze with a sharp, piercing one.

"Harime Nui…." Satsuki began, "Why have you come crawling back to this mansion?"

"W-what?" Nui asked, her voice came out hoarse, scared, and confused. Satsuki, for a moment, really wished Ryuuko was here to yell "Stop screwing with me, bitch!" at the girl.

Satsuki, being much more composed and dignified, settled for stomping her heel roughly and glaring even harsher at the girl, "Two nights ago, there was a knock on my mansion door, and you were found collapsed outside with Senketsu and a mysterious stranger. My question to you is; why would you DARE show your face in front of me after all you've done!?"

"I… I…" Nui frowned, giving Satsuki a very blank and confused look.

"You worked with my mother, killed my father, tortured and violated both me and my sister… WHAT EXACTLY DID YOU EXPECT TO GAIN BY SHOWING YOURSELF BEFORE ME!" Satsuki yelled in fury.

"I- I- I'M SORRY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Nui yelled, tears welling up in her good eye. Once again, her voice sounded more scared and confused than mocking.

Satsuki remembered what condition Senketsu had been in and her eyes widened.

It wasn't possible.

It _absolutely, positively _was not possible.

"Harime Nui," Satsuki began, very much hesitant, "You… you do recognize me, correct?"

Nui lowered her head and shook it hesitantly, "No, I… I don't recognize you… Who…. who are you?"

Satsuki's eyes widened, and without another word, she left the room.

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><p>"He didn't remember me."<p>

"Ryuuko-chan…"

"Senketsu didn't _remember _me."

"Ryuuko-chan…"

"Senketsu goes off and _dies _after the final battle, and now that he's back, _he doesn't even remember _me!"

"RYUUKO-CHAN! PLEASE CALM DOWN!" Mako yelled. Then, as only Mako could do, she set off on one of her rants, complete with pantomimes and senseless ramblings, "I know that you're upset because Senketsu is your best friend! I'd be pretty upset myself if Ryuuko-chan forgot about me! But, BUT! That doesn't mean you can't still be friends with Senketsu! For Senketsu, it's probably nice, since he gets to enjoy meeting Ryuuko-chan all over again! It's like reading a really good book, then completely forgetting about it! But then you read it again, and it's like you're reading it for the first time! But I don't really read books because I can't understand the kanji…. but I bet Senketsu understands kanji because he's really smart!"

Ryuuko gave Mako one of the mildly concerned looks she gave her when she went on a particularly troubling rant, sighed, and looked down.

"I…. I don't want to have to do things over…" Ryuuko frowned, "We fought a whole damn war together! We've been through so much, damnit! I can't just pretend none of that ever happened!"

"Of course not, Ryuuko-chan! You CAN'T pretend like that never happened, especially since you have to remember for both of you, right!?"

"Mako, that's not the point, I don't _want _to have to remember for the both of us! I want Senketsu remember for himself!"

"Well, the last time you lost your way, we had to jump inside you… but I guess that's not possible, wait! You're make of life fibers, maybe you _can _jump inside Senketsu… but I don't really know if that would help much, because the only reason you went back to normal is because I got stabbed… no wait… Senketsu protected me! Ryuuko, maybe if you go inside Senketsu and get him to try to stab you, he'll remember you!"

"Mako, that's… I can't…." Ryuuko shook her head at the girl's pointless ideas, "Forget it, Mako…"

Mako sighed as well and plopped down next to Ryuuko. The two were sitting in the Mankanshoku family's new house. It was small and simple, but still much nicer than the wooden shack they used to call home.

In the center of the room sat a table, upon which sat a small fruit bowl filled with oranges. Other days, when Mako and Ryuuko would sit here, the former would take orange after orange, dutifully peeling them before shoving the separate wedges into her mouth cheerfully while rambling. Sometimes, even Ryuuko would take an orange or two- though she much rather preferred lemons- and snack on them while she listened to her close friend.

Now, however, the bowl was left untouched, and neither Mako or Ryuuko had any desire to change that anytime soon.

Outside, the rain continued to fall steadily, yet not even the sounds of the rain falling could calm or ease Ryuuko. She normally liked rain, but now, it just cast a melancholy blue hue over the entire room, bathing it in weak shadows as opposed to sunlight.

"You shouldn't leave him alone, Ryuuko-chan," Mako spoke after some time.

Ryuuko looked over at her with a sullen look on her face, "What do you mean?"

"Even if he doesn't remember you, he's still your friend, right? He can't remember anything, and he's probably afraid and confused… He's lost his way, right? And isn't it your job as his friend to help him find that? Even if he doesn't remember you, you can't just abandon him like this!"

Ryuuko looked over at Mako as she let what she just said sink in fully. Finally, after a while, she smiled and grabbed an orange out of the fruit bowl.

"For someone who makes so little sense, you can be very profound, Mako." Ryuuko replied. She tossed the orange up in the air, caught it, then stood up purposefully, "Your right! I can't let Senketsu down! After all those times he was there for me when I needed him, now it's him who needs me!"

Ryuuko opened the door, looked up at the rain clouds, and headed into the storm back towards the Kiryuin Manor.

**_To be continued..._**


	3. Starting Over

**Chapter 3: Starting Over**

Satsuki wasn't entirely sure how to deal with Nui as she was.

She could've handled the insufferable, cheerfully sadistic Nui. She had dealt with her before. It would be easy. Especially after all they learned about Life Fibers.

She could've even dealt with an apologetic Nui. Now, it's doubtful she'd have accepted any apologies or taken any excuses, but at least she'd _try _to hear her out. Or, at the very least, try not to kill her right away.

But a Nui who literally didn't remember anything? One who didn't remember all the horrible things she did to both her and her sister? A Nui who didn't remember plunging the Scissor Blade into their own father?

Satsuki wished she hadn't forgotten. It would make hating her a lot easier.

"_How can I forgive a person like that…. but then again… how am I supposed to hate someone who doesn't remember what they did?"_

Satsuki paced around her foyer, her heels making loud clacks on the tiles every step, as she mulled over this. Satsuki had considered the possibility she was lying, but it wasn't likely. After all, Senketsu had said the same thing, and he wouldn't make a joke like that to Ryuuko, especially under the circumstances.

Then, in an uncharacteristic fit of rage, she stomped her foot, whirled around, and threw her empty tea cup at the wall with an exuberant, "DAMNIT ALL, HARIME NUI!"

As if on cue, a sopping wet, yet fiercely determined Ryuuko threw open the doors to the mansion. Satsuki's eyes widened like a deer caught in headlights, and when Ryuuko noticed the position she was in- teeth clenched and arm outstretched towards the wall, where a shattered mess lay- she was able to piece together what had just occurred.

"Lose your cool there, sis?" Ryuuko mocked.

"Not any more than you did earlier," Satsuki threw back without skipping a beat, "I do hope my little sister hasn't robbed any fruit stands recently."

Ryuuko realized she was still carrying the orange from Mako's fruit bowl.

"Nah, I went to Mako's," Ryuuko replied casually, "Anyway, I decided it'd be best to talk to Senketsu."

"Very well, go ahead," Satsuki replied.

Ryuuko looked over the scene one more time, "You talked to Nui, I'm guessing?"

Satsuki frowned, then nodded, "She's lost her memory too, it seems."

Ryuuko frowned, "Damn… I really wanted to sock her! Guess it ain't fair to punch her now that she doesn't remember what she did to deserve it…"

Satsuki smiled, "You've… grown up, Ryuuko."

"Shut up, sis," Ryuuko looked away, though Satsuki could see the faintest hint of pink on her cheeks, "Anyway, I'm goin' to talk to Senketsu now. Don't bug me unless it's important."

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><p>As Ryuuko entered the room, the living uniform turned his eye to meet her gaze. She pulled up a chair and sat in it backwards, resting her arms against the backboard.<p>

"Hey, Senketsu…" Ryuuko began, "You don't remember me, but I'm Matoi Ryuuko. We're friends."

Senketsu looked at her hesitantly, but then nodded slowly, "Hello, Matoi-san."

The formality of his words pricked at Ryuuko's heart like needles, but she had no choice but to bear with it. Senketsu, in his current state, would probably be uncomfortable calling Ryuuko by her given name.

The two fell into an awkward silence, vaguely reminiscent of the time Ryuuko had gone berserk and stopped wearing Senketsu for a time, unable to trust herself.

Now, however, Senketsu was the hesitant one. He didn't remember Ryuuko or anything that had happened, but he was intelligent and perceptive. He didn't want to let his friend down, even if he didn't recall her at all.

"I'm sorry I can't remember you, Matoi-san," Senketsu spoke, finally breaking the silence in the room.

"I'm not going to pretend it doesn't bother me," Ryuuko began, "but it's not like it's your fault. Besides, I ain't gonna just abandon one of my friends just because of a little amnesia."

Senketsu nodded, "You're very direct, but considerate. I can see why I saw you as a friend."

"So, what _do_ you remember?" Ryuuko asked.

Senketsu closed his eye, as if trying to remember something, "Very little. I know my name, I know I'm called a kamui, and I know I'm made out of life fibers and I feed off of blood. Everything else is cloudy."

Ryuuko looked at Senketsu with an extreme amount of focus before her face lit up, "I'm gonna tell you stories, okay?"

Senketsu looked at Ryuuko with as puzzling an expression an outfit like himself could muster, and asked, "What kind of stories?"

"About you," Ryuuko replied, "It sounds a bit weird, but I was thinkin' that if I told you enough stories about our adventures, maybe you'll start remembering them for yourself."

"That does make sense," Senketsu nodded, "Alright, I will listen to your stories."

Ryuuko poked at the orange she'd taken from Mako's house as she decided where she should start.

"Let's see… perhaps I should begin with your creation…."

* * *

><p>"Harime Nui," Satsuki entered the room, one of her trademark scowls etched deep into her face. Nui, as she was, recoiled at the sight.<p>

"Y-yes?" Nui asked, hesitantly. The last time the black-haired woman had come into the room, she wound up yelling at her and leaving without any explanation.

"You…. you really don't remember anything?" Satsuki asked at last.

Nui shook her head, "I… I'm sorry! Please don't be mad at me!"

Satsuki sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"I… I'm not mad…." Satsuki spoke carefully, trying very hard to make it sound sincere and trying even harder to convince herself the statement was true.

"You… you're lying, aren't you," Nui looked up, "I'm sorry… I… earlier, you made it seem like… I had done something to you in the past. That's why you're mad at me, isn't it? It must have been something horrible… I don't remember doing it, but I'm very sorry…"

Satsuki couldn't handle that. Not coming from _her _of all people. The look in Nui's eye, the sincerity of her statement. Satsuki couldn't face that.

Nui looked at the black haired girl with concern. Satsuki had crumpled to the floor, feeling completely sick to her stomach. For a brief moment, Satsuki thought she was going to puke, but then it all subsided and she brought herself to her feet.

Looking down at _that _face- that familiar face, yet filled with concern and sincerity so alien to it- brought about a strange mix of feelings that Satsuki couldn't even begin to make sense of.

"It may not be possible," Nui began, "but… I'd like to start over. I don't remember what kind of person I used to be, but I get the impression that I wasn't pleasant… so… if you'll give me a chance… I want to start over."

Satsuki's scowl returned immediately, and she snapped, "Y-you…"

"I guess it's probably selfish of me to ask that, but please…" Nui asked.

Satsuki frowned, but she said nothing further. She turned around to leave, but then glanced back at this new Nui.

As Iori walked past the room, he saw Satsuki leaving it swiftly. Her heels fell heavily and loud clacks echoed through the halls. Curious as to what might have happened, he poked his head into the room and was surprised by what he saw.

Lying there, on her bed, was Harime Nui, newly freed from her restraints.

* * *

><p>"... after my father finished you, he immediately began work on his new project, the Scissors Blade," Ryuuko continued. Senketsu had been listening intently to her explanation of how he was created, but even she was fuzzy on all the details, and in the end, Senketsu still remembered nothing about "Isshin Matoi".<p>

"What kind of a man was your father… my creator?" Senketsu asked.

"I'm not necessarily qualified to answer that question," Ryuuko replied, "He… he was always distant to me. I know now it's because he was protecting me, but it meant I really never got to know him very well… I guess the best way to describe him was… kind. Even though I never really felt that I could rely on him, he was always kind to me and everyone he met."

Senketsu sat in silence for a while, before, "What happened to him?"

"After he finished the Scissors Blade, he was murdered…" Ryuuko let her voice trail off. She didn't want to touch on this subject. Not now. Not when her best friend and last keepsake from her father couldn't even remember her and the very person responsible for his death was across the hall, "I… I'll tell you that part later…"

Senketsu nodded, and Ryuuko continued.

"Let's move on to when we met… see… I had just arrived at Honnoji Academy, and I figured I'd stop by my father's grave when-"

Ryuuko was interrupted by the faintest of knocks against the doorframe and looked up to meet the gaze of a very lost-looking infirmary patient.

The _one-eyed _gaze of a very lost-looking infirmary patient.

"Y...you…. YOU BITCH!" Ryuuko yelled.

"A-ah… um… sorry, am… am I interrupting something… I… uh…" Nui recoiled, poking her head around the doorframe.

Ryuuko took a very, very heavy breath in an attempt to calm down.

It wasn't very effective.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Ryuuko yelled.

"A-ahhahh…." Nui backed out into the hall, "I… uhm…"

"You don't remember me, and you don't remember what you did to me, so I ain't gonna sock ya, alright?" Ryuuko replied harshly, following Nui out into the hall and poking her shoulder roughly, "But do me a damn favor and don't show your dumbass face in front of me again, ya hear!"

"Uh…. I'm… I'm sorry, but…" Nui sunk lower, back against the wall and knees knocking together.

"BUT WHAT!?" Ryuuko raged, grabbing Nui's hospital gown in anger.

"T-t-toilet…" Nui muttered, pressing her legs together and squirming a bit, "I… I just wanted to know where the toilet was…"

Ryuuko was speechless. She wasn't sure whether to feel angry that Nui of all goddamn people was asking her for help after all that she did, or if she should feel bad that she nearly literally scared the piss out of a girl who couldn't remember a thing before she woke up not a half-hour ago.

Ryuuko turned her back on the trembling girl and returned to room, only to be greeted by the critical gaze of Senketsu. Ryuuko realized that Senketsu also had amnesia, and had no idea what this scared, meek girl had ever done to her.

Ryuuko, upon meeting Senketsu's stern gaze with her own, realized just how much of an asshole she looked like back there.

She let out a long sigh, and turned to look at the one-eyed girl, who was still petrified against the wall.

"Follow me."

And with shaky steps, Nui fell in line behind Ryuuko.

* * *

><p>Ryuuko was leaned up against the wall across the door to the bathroom when Nui emerged. The blonde still looked wary of Ryuuko, but at least she wasn't wide-eyed in fear.<p>

"Look, you… you don't remember anything… but you did a lot to me in the past…" Ryuuko said as they were walking back to the infirmary rooms, "I… I wasn't trying to be an asshole earlier… well, I mean, I guess I was… but-"

"You don't have to say anything, I get it," Nui said finally, "the girl with the eyebrows said the same thing and I-"

Ryuuko couldn't help but laugh. Satsuki was the kind of person that everyone knew by name, and while she did on occasion draw attention to her sister's eyebrows- especially back before she even knew they were sisters, though she'd still make the off coment about them- hearing someone else draw their attention to the iconic facial feature of the great Kiryuin Satsuki was hillarious to the teen.

Even though the person who made the joke was her mortal enemy for all time.

As they arrived back at the rooms, Ryuuko turned to enter Senketsu's before pausing and glancing down at the orange she had nabbed from Mako.

She wasn't hungry, and she was getting tired of carrying it around. She had taken off her soaked hoodie from earlier, so putting it in her jacket pocket wasn't an option.

She extended the orange out to the sapphire-eyed girl next to her and tried to give Nui her most apathetic look ever.

"I still ain't bein' nice to ya, damnit. I just don't want you buggin' me later about being hungry or whatever."

Nui smiled happily and took the offered citrus eagerly, throwing Ryuuko one of the most sincerely thankful looks the brunette had ever seen. As Nui turned around to walk back into her infirmary room, Ryuuko was left standing in the hallway.

"Tch," Ryuuko muttered to herself, "She's supposed to be my damn enemy. I hope she gets her memory back so I can kick her ass…"

As Ryuuko walked back into Senketsu's room, however, she could only reflect on how insincere her own words had just sounded.

**_To be continued..._**


	4. Together

**Chapter 4: Together**

"I can't believe she had to burn all these perfectly useful computers…" Inumuta lamented, holding up another torched motherboard.

The second Iori identified the third mysterious stranger as another hybrid, Satsuki had called up Hoka Inumuta and requested that he search through the computer files her mother left behind to see if anything detailed on the man.

That, of course, required a salvageable hard drive, and since she had burned all of her mother's old computers with the rest of the mansion devoted specifically to life fiber-related schemes, that was going to be a difficult task.

Gamagori, who was helping him sift through the rubble, frowned, "I think any of us would've made the same decision, all things considered."

Inumuta shrugged, "I would've been fine just wiping the hard drives… that would've made my job easier. Wiping a hard drive never gets rid of all the information. Neither does burning, if there's enough of the hard drive left…"

Inumuta had found a few hard drives, but all of them were melted beyond hope, and thus, the pair were still at work.

Gamagori lifted up another huge piece of rubble and looked underneath, "Hoka-san, there's another computer under here!"

The bespectacled hacker shot forwards and snatched the half-busted tower out from the piece of scorched wall it had been hidden underneath and moved out underneath it so Gamagori could drop the rubble back into place.

He eagerly ripped open the case and grinned like a maniac, holding up a mostly in-tact hard drive.

"Ira-san, our search is over!" Inumuta declared triumphantly.

* * *

><p>"Does…. any of this feel familiar?" Ryuuko asked, looking down at the uniform she had just put on. Perhaps she should have phrased the question differently, given the situation, but it seemed Senketsu was too busy being incredibly uncomfortable with their situation.<p>

"Ryuuko," Senketsu spoke carefully. Actually, he was trying really hard not to move too much at all, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Ryuuko beamed like a happy idiot and nodded, "Yeah. To be honest, I wasn't sure at all before… but now I'm positive. Senketsu, you just called me by my first name."

Senketsu's eye widened, and it shot to look up at the smiling girl. Suddenly, his position became incredibly familiar. It wasn't a specific memory, but he realized that he was comfortable here because he had been worn by Ryuuko before.

"You feelin' alright there? Ryuuko asked.

"Yeah," Senketsu affirmed. He couldn't really do much nodding by himself in the first place- at least he could kind of move his collar forwards and backwards quickly- but now that he was being worn, all attempts at movement on his own were futile.

Ryuuko smiled, "Cool, let's go for a walk."

* * *

><p>"Harime Nui," Satsuki spoke as she entered the room for the third time that day. It had been an hour since their last meeting, and Satsuki had finally affirmed in her mind what was to become of the girl.<p>

"Y-yes?" Nui asked. Satsuki hadn't seen it before, but when the girl turned around, the brunette had noticed she was holding a half-eaten orange, and had been about to bring another slice to her mouth before Satsuki entered the room.

Considering the two places in the mansion Satsuki knew there were oranges, either the girl had strolled halfway across the mansion to raid their kitchen, or a certain temperamental sister of hers had given her the orange she had returned with.

Satsuki still couldn't figure out which one was more likely, but she made a mental note to increase kitchen security for next time.

"I have decided to acknowledge your request. I can speak for no other person, but I, Kiryuin Satsuki, will give you a second chance."

Nui tilted her head to the side and her eye got a glazed over look, as if she was staring at something that wasn't really there, "Ki-Kiryuin… I…"

As quickly as it began, it ended, and Nui shook her head to clear her mind before replying, "Thank you."

"Please, follow me."

Nui looked uncertain- and given the attitude of the last person she had to follow, it wasn't entirely unfounded- but set off after Satsuki, still clad in her hospital gown, to an unfamiliar part of the mansion. Although, considering her entire scope of the mansion had been the infirmary and the bathroom, that wasn't hard.

"Where are we going?" Nui asked.

"Where you'll be staying until further notice," Satsuki answered curtly.

They continued walking, and Nui began to get the sense that this was a really, really big house. She'd be right, of course- even with the burnt rooms out of the picture, the Kiryuin Mansion was nothing short of impressive in size.

A lot of the rooms, entire halls, even, went unused. Not even Satsuki herself knew what was behind every door. Her humble butler and her oldest friend, Mitsuzo Saroi, might have been the only person still alive who did know.

Satsuki made a mental note to ask him about the third guest at their mansion later.

Nui, meanwhile, was taking in the sights of the mansion anew when she accidentally bumped into Satsuki, who had stopped in front of a set of heavy metal doors.

"This is a… preemptive measure. Iori told me that your memories could return at any moment. I'd rather not let that happen while you're wandering freely about my mansion. The person you were was not just unpleasant. She was a horrible combination of clever, strong, and insane."

Nui nodded, "It's fine, I don't mind. Freedom's a tricky thing. Since I don't have anything to act as reference, even confinement will feel normal."

Satsuki looked at the girl with an unreadable expression, but it was clear to even Nui that she wasn't quite comfortable with what she just said.

In fact, the more she rolled the statement around in her head, the more Nui herself felt uncomfortable with it.

"I… uh… sorry about that," Nui apologized, "I don't know where that came from… maybe I heard it in the past somewhere…"

"Ragyou…" Satsuki muttered, but the way she spoke it Nui figured she wasn't supposed to have heard it.

Satsuki lead Nui into a rather pleasant looking hall on the other side of the metal door, made an immediate right, and opened a dark wooden door to a relatively normal, if not large, room.

Inside were the basics. A table sat in one corner, next to a mini-fridge and a small cabinet, and a couch sat in another. A bed ran parallel to the far wall, and there was even what looked to be a small window nearby. It wasn't real, of course. Nui couldn't tell, but the entire hall was underground. The "window" was in reality a video screen behind a fake glass frame that streamed live footage from a camera positioned outside. It wasn't meant for fooling people- there was a small warning posted on the wall next to the apparatus explaining as such- instead, it was meant simply for comfort's sake.

All the rooms in this hall were nearly identical, except in this particular room, Satsuki had stocked the closet with clothes. She hadn't simply stuck to things she had seen Nui wear, she had taken the opportunity to gather a bunch of different styles and loaded them into the rather large walk-in closet.

"There are clothes in there," Satsuki informed her, pointing to the aforementioned closet's sliding door, then pointed to another door on the wall adjacent to the hallway's door, "and behind that door is your own personal bathroom. You will be escorted to the main dining hall for meals, but you will be unable to leave this hall for any other reason. For your own privacy, the bathroom and closet are not outfitted with cameras, but the rest of the room is."

Satsuki turned to leave without another word, and Nui looked over at the closet door first.

"Right," she spoke to herself, "Time to see if I remember what I like to wear!"

* * *

><p>Iori was trying to make heads and tails of the mysterious third "guest", as Satsuki had insisted on calling him.<p>

Appearance-wise, he wasn't anything too special. Short black hair, dark brown eyes, a rather lean yet semi-muscular figure, and no iconic or distinctive outward features.

Yet, inside his body, interwoven between his muscles, in his vascular system, lungs, and internal organs, were life fibers. A life fiber hybrid, born within an artificial womb as Nui herself had been.

And yet, he had not been present during any of their confrontations with the life fibers, nor had Ragyou ever made mention of him to Satsuki in her youth.

Another point of interest was his persistent state of unconsciousness. Being a life fiber hybrid, his recovery rate should be incredibly high. Yet despite the fact that he had no visible injuries, he been unconscious for much longer than Nui had.

In fact, he still showed no signs of waking up, and even as Iori was examining tissue samples taken from the mysterious man, there was no indication as to why he was still dormant.

He jotted down more notes in his notebook and sighed. Perhaps their only hope for any answers now was the hard drive Inumuta had uncovered.

* * *

><p>Nui looked out the fake window in her room, noticing the setting sun. It had been a rather eventful day.<p>

The one-eyed girl was clad in a light pink sundress, one of the many articles of clothing that Satsuki had provided for her. She hadn't recalled any particular memories of her old self's taste in clothing, but it seemed the girl simply had a propensity for wearing pink.

She still had absolutely no idea what she'd do with her hair. It was long, and had a natural urge to split off to both sides. As it was, it hung loosely and cascaded over both of her shoulders, reaching all the way down to the floor.

Her shoulders. That was another point of interest. Scars wrapped around both of her shoulders, as if at one point she had lost them both, and yet oddly enough, they had been stitched back on using life fibers. She remembered the basics- she was a life fiber hybrid with an incredible self-healing ability and fast recovery rate- and yet the wounds suggested she had required external assistance to heal.

The strange stitches had also appeared around her neck, yet there was no sign of scarring there. The two wounds had been starkly different.

And yet, despite her previous injuries seeming rather severe, she had no recollection of receiving either of them.

She sighed. At first, she had been glad that her memories were gone. She had no way of knowing what kind of person she had been, but Satsuki and the other girl had made it very clear that she used to be a very horrible person. She still dreaded the day she remembered the things she did to make their blood boil with her very presence, but she was infinitely curious of the little things. Why she only had one working eye, where her scars had come from, and how exactly she lost her memories in the first place.

As the last of the sun's rays disappeared behind the trees outside her "window", she yawned and realized how exhausted she felt. It had been around 4 o' clock since was brought to the room and after spending the better part of three hours sitting naked in the closet, trying to remember her previous tastes, she had given up. She slipped on a bra, some underwear, and the sundress, and had emerged from the room to see a still warm plate of food waiting for her.

Satsuki had told her that she would eat her meals in the main dining hall, but she understood the gesture. Satsuki probably felt really uncomfortable with Nui, all things considered.

She lied down in the bed for a total of three seconds before shooting back up again. The sundress wasn't uncomfortable, but she definitely didn't want to sleep in her bra. She vaguely recalled Satsuki relaying that the room was laced with cameras, but she cared very little at this point. She slipped off both the sundress and bra and settled back down in the bed. Wrapping herself in the sheets and quickly falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

><p>Senketsu had never been so grateful for silence in his life.<p>

When Ryuuko had brought Senketsu to the Mankanshoku household, he hadn't known what to expect. He hadn't expected much, to be honest. Ryuuko had told him to stay silent on the walk there, as no one else could hear him speak.

He hadn't expected so much talking, let alone all the questions, from people who couldn't even hear his voice.

It hadn't been unpleasant, and like being worn by Ryuuko, there was a strange sense of distant familiarity. Yet despite the friendly talk and smiling faces, the whole experience had been rather draining.

Ryuuko had opted to spend the night there, which, according to Mrs. Mankanshoku, had been a regular and welcomed occurrence, one which had started around the same time Ryuuko had met him for the first time as well.

Mankanshoku Mako. She was Ryuuko's other friend, and her name had popped up once or twice in Ryuuko's stories from earlier, despite them dealing with events before she even met the girl. It was obvious Ryuuko and Mako were very close, but Senketsu was having an incredibly hard time figuring out exactly what kind of relationship the two had.

Even now, in the stillness of night, with the two sleeping side-by-side, he wasn't exactly sure if that was born of friendship or something deeper, and as he looked down upon the pair from where he had been hung up, he wondered exactly what kind of relationship he himself had at one point shared with the mostly-black-haired girl.

When the sound of the door opening pierced the serenity of the room and Senketsu's thoughts, his eye moved to look at the woman poking her head through the doors. She held her finger up to the piece of clothing and smiled before snatching him, hangar and all, off of the closet door he'd been hung on.

Mrs. Mankanshoku smiled as they cleared the earshot of the two sleeping girls, "Hey, Senketsu. I know you might not remember me, but please try to relax, okay?"

If Senketsu had been able to reply directly to her, and he knew well enough that he couldn't, he would have agreed. Ryuuko made one thing clear; the Mankanshokus are to be trusted.

He remained calm even as she removed him from the hangar and laid him out across a strange flat board. He was sure he had known what they were for at one point, but like much of his memories, he was drawing a huge blank.

Then he saw it.

It was a hissing, angry machine shaped like a spear and spewing out hot steam like a dragon breathing fire. A glowing red light reminded him of an evil eye glaring at him, and the happy face of Mrs. Mankanshoku did not reflect the horror of the situation.

She grabbed a handle on the machine and smiled lightly, urging him to relax as she slowly brought it closer to him until he could feel it's heat.

I'm going to die. I'm going to be killed by this maniac woman and I don't even remember anything and I-

All of his thoughts faded as he felt the steam sink deep into the very fibers of his being, and he could do nothing but relax.

He must've died, for this was heaven.

"I remembered how much you liked being ironed," Mrs. Mankanshoku's voice was like a buzz in the back of his mind compared to the utter bliss being ironed was for the living uniform. Yes. It was ironing. That's what this heavenly experience was called. Now he remembered.

Although it felt as though Mrs. Mankanshoku had been ironing him for an eternity; slowly gliding the blissful steam-producing device across his sleeves, his lapel, gently over his closed eye, and across the fabric that made up his skirt, it had ended far too quickly, and when the woman lifted the iron up for the last time and placed it on the board next to him with a conclusive nod, Senketsu was left feeling relaxed, yet wishing the experience could continue.

"It must be like a massage to you, huh?" Mrs. Mankanshoku asked after a while, though she looked as though she expected no response, even if Senketsu could still sort of nod had he wanted to. She sat down in the chair and looked over at him, a sad smile on her face.

"It's hard for both of you, I'd imagine," she began, "You don't remember much of anything, and yet you're thrust into a world where people remember you, and they expect you to act the same. Yet… at the same time, Ryuuko is someone who cares a lot about you, and you don't even remember all you two have been through. Though, if I know anything, it's that you two always manage to pull through in the end. I'm sure this is no different. This is another obstacle that you two will overcome, and in the end, your relationship will be stronger for it. Well, I just figured you needed something nice after such a stressful day."

If Senketsu could thank her directly, he'd do so profusely, but as it was, all he could do was nod and try to look as happy as a school uniform could. Yet despite this lack of vocal communication, she smiled at his actions, and Senketsu got the impression that Mrs. Mankanshoku could also understand him, even if his voice would never reach her ears.

As she brought him back to the room where Ryuuko slept, he once again let his eye fall on the sleeping girl. Mrs. Mankanshoku was right, and he knew it. Even if he didn't remember her, he trusted her, and they would overcome this just like they'd overcame all those other challenges he didn't remember.

Together.

**_To be continued..._**


	5. Dreams

**Chapter 5: Dreams**

Nui found herself standing in a strange place. The room was rather dark, but bathed in a deep, red light. When she looked to the center, she saw why. There was a strange, orange-ish red mass in the center, made entirely out of life fibers and glowing with extraterrestrial energy.

The Original Life Fiber, her memory provided, yet even as she gazed at it knowing what it was, it still made her feel… uneasy.

Still, as if her legs refused to listen to her, she began moving towards it slowly, until she was within arm's reach of the living mass of fabric.

She reached out a tentative hand, only to notice that it was much shorter and smaller than it should have been. In fact, thinking about it, she seemed a lot shorter too.

She glanced down, and the face of a toddler-aged Harime Nui looked up at her.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a strange woman with the most ridiculous rainbow-colored hair, wearing a lab coat and goggles, rushed into the room. "Nui! there you are!"

_This woman… Kiryuuin… but not Satsuki. This woman is her…. her… m-mother?_

As she relived the memory, Nui struggled to remember the fragments of information being brought out in her mind.

Meanwhile, young Nui looked up with innocent, wide eyes, "Sorry, Mama… I was just curious!"

"Do not call me that," the Kiryuuin woman said much more sternly, "You are not my daughter. You have been created by the Original Life Fiber. I am merely here to guide you, Nui."

"S-sorry, Ma-... Ragyou-sama…" young Nui corrected herself.

Nui, who was watching through her younger self's eyes, wracked her brain with this new information.

_Her name's Ragyou… and she raised me, but did not consider herself my mother…_

"Come, child. Go back to your room," Ragyou smiled warmly, but the feelings young Nui got from them didn't coincide with the deceitful smile.

"No… NO! I don't want to go in there! It's… cold… and dark…. Please don't make me go back there!" young Nui begged.

Ragyou gave her a cold look, "Any minute now, my husband will return. He does not yet know of you, and I intend to keep it that way."

"I… please… NO!" young Nui sobbed.

Ragyou frowned and roughly grabbed Nui by the arm, dragging her away from the Original Life Fiber and out the door. As she continued to protest, however, the memory grew more and more dim until it faded completely, leaving an older looking Nui behind, looking confused.

Nui's eyes shot open, and she was back in her room. The first rays of sunlight were filtering through the blinds over the fake window, something to give it a sense of realness, since otherwise it could be switched off completely, and Nui was in a cold sweat, which was odd, considering how mellow the dream had been.

One thing was certain. Seeing that woman, Kiryuin Ragyou really, really unnerved her.

"I… I should get up," Nui decided, not that she really wanted to sleep again anyway. She pulled herself out of bed and looked down at her bare chest. She felt like she should feel more self-conscious about going topless in a room filled with cameras, but she couldn't even bring herself to care, let alone raise her arms to cover herself as she walked to where she had neatly placed the clothing she removed.

Maybe it was because she was part life fiber, or maybe it was a past habit of some sort, but she treated clothing with respect.

Still, even after slipping on her bra and dress, she still didn't feel ready. Her hair was a mess of tangles flowing down and tickling her bare feet. There had plenty of footwear in her closet, but as she had no intention of leaving her room, she hadn't bothered picking out anything.

And then there was the hair. Even combing it, the ends still brushed against the floor as it was. She'd have to either cut it or tie it up somehow, and she really, really didn't trust herself with a pair of scissors.

She had no way of knowing the morbid irony of that statement, but Satsuki wouldn't trust her with a pair of scissors either.

She entered the bathroom, grabbed a brush and a few hair ties, which had conveniently been provided for her as well, and set to work.

* * *

><p>Senketsu felt the familiar sensation of being worn by Ryuuko, however, there was another sensation there that was less familiar. He himself felt different, and although he couldn't see much of himself, he could tell that his physical appearance had changed.<p>

Another thing was Ryuuko. He could feel her blood actively coursing through him, empowering both of them, and it felt as though both of them were in perfect sync.

Yet, it was hot, searingly, uncontrollably hot, and Senketsu was starting to panic.

"Ryuuko," he could hear himself talk, but as this was a memory, he had no control over it, "Get a hold of yourself!"

Senketsu looked ahead of himself and noticed the girl Ryuuko had yelled at earlier, this time clad in a frilly pink dress and with her hair tied up in twin drills. The two were clashing blades, surprisingly similar-looking blades, both shaped like two halves of a pair of scissors.

"So… it was you I saw back there!" Ryuuko yelled, her blood growing even hotter with every word.

"Yeah! If I had known a girl as cute as you was coming, I would've stayed right there and waited!" the girl smiled.

"YOU BITCH!" Ryuuko yelled. Senketsu felt himself expelling steam from the temperature her blood was reaching. Ryuuko swung forwards again, but the blonde easily

"Think you can avenge your dad with _that_? Not happening!" the girl smiled, completely unfazed by anything Ryuuko could possibly throw at her.

"We'll just see about that!" Ryuuko yelled, her temper reaching it's peak and her blood boiling out of control.

"Stop it, Ryuuko!" Senketsu heard himself urge, "Your blood grows dangerously hot! If this keeps up, I won't be able to control myself!"

At that, Senketsu's world went black, and the next time he opened his eyes up, he was back in Mako's room, hanging from the closet door.

It wasn't a dream, not really. Senketsu didn't truly sleep. He could enter a dormant state whenever he wanted to, but he could only wake up from it as long as he still had blood in his reserves. He didn't remember yet, but after Sochiro hid him in the piles of clothes he had in his lab to protect him, he was deathly afraid he'd close his eye and never open it again.

He didn't have to worry about things like that now. Ryuuko would see to that.

"That dream… wait… that girl… so she was the one who…" Senketsu thought aloud, though the only person capable of hearing him was asleep on the floor before him. The sun had come up, but it seemed that Ryuuko intended to sleep in today.

"Sochiro Kiryuuin… Isshin Matoi… she's his killer… and yet she remembers nothing either…" Senketsu muttered, "Maybe it's for the best. Even the little glimpse I had of her is enough to send chills up my spine… and I don't even _have _a spine."

"Hey, Senketsu!" the excited whisper came from beside him, and he turned his eye to find Mako staring back at him, giving him that smile that seemed permanently plastered onto her face.

Mako snatched his hanger up in her hand and rushed out of the room to avoid waking Ryuuko, and he found it funny how she was the second Mankanshoku to do that in this one visit.

Once Mako reached the living room, she took Senketsu off the hanger and motioned to a pillow. Senketsu nodded and hopped over to it before sitting down on it, as best as a school uniform could, that is.

"Ryuuko-chan told me that she was going to tell you a bunch of awesome stories about what you missed, so I thought that I could tell you stories too! Is that okay?"

Hesitantly, Senketsu nodded, and immediately Mako shot into one of her iconic rambles, complete with gestures and impersonations, and Senketsu was already starting to wonder if this was a good idea.

* * *

><p>"So, you had a dream about my mother?" Satsuki asked. She sat at the head of a really long banquet table, sipping on some English breakfast tea between bites of her morning meal. Nui was also seated at the table, though she hadn't touched a bite of her food. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, but she was still concerned about the dream she had.<p>

Nui nodded, "It was… unpleasent… all I know is that I was really young and she was hiding me from her husband, for some reason… I-"

"So," Satsuki interrupted her, "My mother had created you before she had Ryuuko… hmmm… go on."

"She… she wanted to put me in my room, but for some reason, I was terrified of going back there. I said it was cold and dark there…" Nui replied, hugging herself with the memory. The emotions were as fresh as if she had just experienced it, and she couldn't help but shudder.

Satsuki frowned, "I had always thought that my mother favored you because of your life fiber origins and abilities… but with this information, perhaps I was mistaken."

Satsuki did something completely unexpected. She went over to Nui and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Nui," Satsuki replied, "Thank you for sharing this with me. If you have any more memories, please, don't hesitate to tell me."

Nui nodded, and Satsuki walked out of the room without another word, leaving Nui at the table to eat her breakfast alone.

* * *

><p>"Is the dog having any luck?" Nonon smiled, entering the lab where Inumuta was trying to recover data from the hard drive.<p>

He normally didn't stay at the mansion, but he had stayed up all night, trying to extract any bit of useful information he could.

"Nothing yet," he replied blankly. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of getting to him.

"Aw, you're so slow!" Nonon taunted, "I may have to start calling you Kamemuta instead!"

"Please don't butcher my name like that." Inumuta deadpanned, focused more on his work than the pink-haired girl.

"You're no fun, at least pretend to be annoyed!" Nonon whined, poking his cheek.

"Jakuzure, I'm busy. Go flirt with Satsuki," Inumuta glared at the pink haired girl. He wasn't nearly as good as glaring as Satsuki was, but Nonon was equally unfazed by his glares as she was hers.

"Satsuki-chan's busy," Nonon replied casually, as if Inumuta hadn't just said the same thing.

_She didn't deny anything. How shameless. _Inumuta thought.

Suddenly, something popped up on the screen that made Inumuta's eyes light up in triumph.

Nonon looked at the screen with a confused expression, and Inumuta sighed. Always having to translate for the mouth-breathers, it seemed.

"We're in," he exclaimed. Now, their questions would be answered.

* * *

><p>When Satsuki entered Nui's room unannounced, the girl panicked and fell off the chair she had been sitting in.<p>

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" Satsuki asked sternly, looking at Nui. The girl was clutching a pair of hairties. Earlier, before breakfast, she had given up with her hair and simply let it trail behind her, but after getting her dream off her chest, she approached the task with new vigor.

She had tied up her hair in twintails, but they were still ridiculously long and cumbersome, and somewhat curly, she had noticed.

She decided that the logical decision would be to style her hair in curled twin drills, and set to work. When Satsuki had seen how close her styling had been to the old Nui's hair, she couldn't help but rush down to her room.

"I was just styling my hair!" Nui replied, holding her arms out in front of her defensively.

Satsuki gave her a long, hard look, and sighed, "I… I apologize for my rash actions. That hairstyle… it's the same as your old one. When I saw you through the cameras, I panicked."

Nui frowned, "I'm sorry, if you want me to change it-"

"No," Satsuki replied, "It's fine as it is."

"Are you sure, I mean, I don't want my appearance to make things harder for you…" Nui replied, looking down.

"Nui, if you mean to say you don't want your appearance to bring about any old memories or difficult feelings, then allow me to say that your very presence does that already," Satsuki spoke sternly, but then her eyes softened, "Yet, I agreed to give you a second chance."

Satsuki got up and turned to leave, looking back only once to add, "I am inviting Ryuuko over later to talk to you. Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't do anything rash. I expect the same for you. As you are now, I don't see this being too much of a problem, but respect her. She is my sister, after all."

_And you hurt her far worse than you hurt me._

**_To be continued..._**


	6. Breakdown Buildup

**Chapter 6: Breakdown; Buildup**

Ryuuko had never been woken up by her sister before.

That fact wasn't really odd, all things considered. She and Satsuki never lived together, and she normally didn't sleep in late enough for anyone but Mako to wake her up anyway.

So when the first thing she saw was Satsuki's strong eyebrows and gentle, yet serious gaze looking down on Ryuuko as she nudged the sleeping girl awake, Ryuuko couldn't help but panic.

Said panicking sent her tumbling over the edge of the bed, and Satsuki's eyes widened at the sight briefly before she narrowed them in a teasing fashion.

"Elegant," she noted sarcastically as Ryuuko pulled herself off the floor.

"S-Satsuki, what are you doing her-" Ryuuko looked past Satsuki and saw her. For the first time since their exchange in the hall, the amnesiac Harime Nui stood behind her, her hair in it's old style, and clad in a simple pink sundress. Mako, the kindest and most talkative girl Ryuuko knew, was sitting silently in Nui's presence, and the atmosphere of the house seemed much too tense for the abode of the lively Mankanshokus.

Ryuuko, not trying to draw the attention of Nui, whispered harshly to her sister, "What the hell is _she _doing here?"

"I was originally going to come alone, but I figured it would be better if she got outside once in a while." Satsuki replied.

"Right," Ryuuko frowned, "Because a homicidal maniac psycho-bitch needs fresh air like everyone else."

"Compassion is something I will show even my enemies," Satsuki replied, "Even though it seems uncharacteristic of me, allow me to remind you, I knew our mother far better than you. She has ways of winding puppet strings around even the most innocent of people and urging them to do her bidding."

"Who the hell cares?" Ryuuko could no longer contain her voice, which raised loud enough to earn the attention of Nui herself, "Allow me to remind you, _sis,_ I knew our father better than you, and that bitch over there killed her!"

Nui's let out a gasp, and Satsuki's eyes widened. The blonde fell to the floor in shock, and Satsuki turned from her to her sister and back until her head was spinning.

"I… I killed…" Nui looked at her hands in horror. They had taken lives. She clutched her head and closed her eyes as this knew bit of information awakened it in her. It was like a slideshow, still images of a bearded man, hunched over, a blade like half a pair of scissors plunged into his torso, gushing blood. And she was looking down at him, as his killer.

The scream she let out sent the entire Mankanshoku household into a panic, and Ryuuko grabbed Satsuki's collar.

"YOU DIDN'T FUCKING TELL HER!?" Ryuuko yelled, eyes filled with rage and…

Satsuki thought she caught a glimmer of guilt in Ryuuko's expression.

"I was going to," Satsuki frowned, "I just... I wanted to lay it on her gently, not like this."

"Oh, so now suddenly you're on her side? Like she really deserves it!" Ryuuko yelled back.

Satsuki grabbed her little sister and turned her to look at Nui, who was wide-eyed, tears streaming from her good eye, and hugging herself in terror, "Look at her, Ryuuko! Her memories of that day are coming back, and she's having a mental breakdown because of it! I don't care who the hell she used to be! This Nui is not the same person who killed our father!"

Ryuuko gazed angrily at the troubled girl. She couldn't. No, she wouldn't forgive her. Not now. Not ever. She couldn't bring herself to. She didn't care if she didn't remember what she did. Ryuuko remembered, and that's all that mattered to her.

"I'm… I'm sorry…"

The voice was weak. Incredibly so, and Ryuuko almost hadn't heard it.

"I'm so, so sorry… I had… I had no idea that I…" Nui continued to cry, curling up on herself as if that would make the horrible memories go away.

"Ryuuko."

This time, it was Senketsu's voice. He was sitting in Mako's lap, having been silent since Nui had arrived.

"What is it, Senketsu?" Ryuuko asked half-heartedly, trying to make sense of all these confusing emotions welling up inside her.

"I remembered Nui. The _old _Nui. Last night, I dreamt of an old memory. The one where you went berserk while wearing me." Senketsu replied.

"Oh," Ryuuko frowned. To be honest, she was still embarrassed and uncomfortable about that whole situation. She had caused a lot of people a lot of problems.

"That Nui showed no remorse at all for what she had done. However, this Nui… she's suffering because of it. I won't pretend that you can just forget about what she's done, and I'm not asking you to forgive her… however…" Senketsu paused, hopping his way over to Nui and wrapping his sleeves around her in as much of a hug as he could muster, "I will also give her a second chance."

Nui didn't respond to the living clothing, but Ryuuko realized it's impact. Senketsu had always been wary of Nui, even before she revealed the second half of the scissors blade. Yet he himself was willing to give her a second chance.

Ryuuko sighed, and placed a hand on Nui's shoulder. It took everything in her power not to pull it away.

"Look…" Ryuuko tried to force a smile, "I ain't forgivin' ya or anything… and I still don't know how to feel about all this… but I'll… I'll give you a chance, I guess."

Nui looked up, her eye red and puffy, and tears still streaming down her cheek, and she hugged Ryuuko, which was unexpected and way too much for the black-haired girl, yet she didn't pull away.

Senketsu had once described her touch as too cold to be human, and while her body was not radiating as much heat as a normal human would, Ryuuko couldn't say the same in this current position.

It was weird, Ryuuko mused. Her best friend didn't remember much of anything, her enemy was sitting here, apologizing for killing her father and hugging her, and her sister was keeping her distance, yet smiling all the same, and her other best friend was-

"RYUUKO!" Mako cried, hugging the girl's back and burying her face in her shoulder, the wetness of her tears soaking into Ryuuko's pajamas.

"M-Mako, what's wrong!?" Ryuuko asked.

"Ryuuko, I'm sorry!" Mako stopped sobbing temporarily to continue, her voice lowered to barely a whisper, "I… I got jealous… When Nui came back, I was afraid she'd take you away again… so… so I didn't say anything to her!"

Ryuuko rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright! could you both stop crying before you flood the house?"

Both Mako and Nui nodded, but only Mako was able to stop crying. Nui was still understandably shaken up by everything.

"Oi, oi, don't be sad anymore," Ryuuko frowned at Nui.

"I'm… I'm not… I'm just… I'm glad. I'm glad you three are kind enough to give me a second chance after all I've done…" Nui smiled.

"Wait," Satsuki asked, "Three?"

"You mean, Senketsu?" Ryuuko asked.

"Mhmm!" Nui smiled, "Thank you, Senketsu!"

"You… you can hear my voice?" Senketsu asked, surprised.

"Of course I can, We're both made out of life fibers, silly." Nui smiled again, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"R-right," Senketsu nodded. He felt a little embarrassed that his private conversation with Ryuuko wasn't as private as he thought, yet he was also glad that his voice could reach someone else. Ryuuko was an excellent friend, but he couldn't help feel annoyed that no one else could understand him.

Ryuuko stood up, "Well, if we're gonna be starting over, I think a proper introduction is in place. I'm Matoi Ryuuko."

Nui smiled, "Thank you again, Ryuuko. I know now that I don't deserve this."

Ryuuko gave her a wry smile, "Don't say that yet, I haven't even forgiven you, you know!"

"Well," Satsuki replied, a vaguely amused look on her face, "This certainly has been interesting, but it would be best if we returned to the mansion. Ryuuko, Mako, you two are always welcome to stay for a few nights, if you wish."

Ryuuko shrugged, "I'd be fine with it, but Mako'll probably bring mounds of stuff and talk all your butlers to death."

Satsuki smiled, "So, that's a yes?"

Ryuuko flashed her a mischievous grin, "Don't you dare give me a girly room or somethin' stupid like that, sis!"

Mako beamed, "I better go pack! I'll need to be prepared for everything!"

Satsuki smiled and nodded, "Come over when you're ready. Dinner will be prepared at 7, try not to be late."

With that, Satsuki set off for her mansion, Nui following behind, and reflected on the events that just occurred. She looked back towards the one-eyed girl. Somehow, slowly but surely, they were learning to accept her.

_**To be continued...**_


	7. Assault

**Chapter 7: Assault**

Ryuuko sat in the room her sister had provided her with, drinking a cup of Soroi's tea, as she told Senketsu another story.

"...and then she managed to steal you from me, which had been her goal all along. At first, I was mad at you, because it seemed like you were able to sync with her… but then you managed to stop her from moving, and I was able to kick her ass properly. After that, you spit her blood out."

"Come to think of it, you mentioned that, after you heard I was alive, it was your blood that woke me up, despite the fact that Iori had tried to feed me some earlier."

Ryuuko nodded, "Yeah, turns out my dad make you with some of my DNA, so we naturally have a strong bond."

"Hmm," Senketsu nodded, "I got that impression myself."

"Anyway, after that-"

Ryuuko's segue into the next part of her story was interrupted by a knock at the door, accompanied by Soroi's voice, "Ryuuko-san, Satsuki-sama wanted me to inform you that dinner is ready."

"Right," Ryuuko nodded with her response, though Soroi couldn't see it. She turned to the living uniform sitting on her bed. "I probably shouldn't go to dinner in my pajamas. Senketsu, you wouldn't mind me wearing you, would you?"

"Of course not, Ryuuko," Senketsu replied, "You don't have to ask."

Ryuuko smiled, "Thank you for trusting me, even after losing your memories."

After she got dressed, she made her way to the dining hall with Senketsu.

* * *

><p>When Nui was lead into the dining hall by Satsuki, she had not expected to see the entire Elite Four waiting for her.<p>

Of course, she didn't know that's what they were called, and she had no recollection of who they were, but they surprised her nevertheless. It was clear they knew who she was, because the instant they saw her, their gazes hardened and all signs of smiles ceased.

She was starting to wonder if there was anyone left in the world that didn't know what kind of terrible person she had been in the past.

"Ah, so it's true… she is still alive…" Sanageyama Uzu replied, leaning back in his chair with his feet kicked up on the table like a right proper delinquent, which earned him a hard elbow from Gamagori, who was seated next to him. Of course, Gamagori being Gamagori, Uzu found himself across the room with a bruised rib.

"I wonder… maybe it's a life fiber thing?" Inumuta asked, typing away on the laptop he brought, "Maybe I sould talk to Iori about this later… I would very much like to figure out how this might have happened…"

Nonon smiled, "I always thought she was kind of cute, but I couldn't look past her personality. Satsuki-chan's still cuter, of course."

Gamagori merely grunted and crossed his arms, but his appearance brought back another memory. It was another short, still image-like memory, but in it, her arms had a strange appearance, and were shaped into sharp points, one of which she was driving into his torso.

She shook her head, but the memory was still there every time she closed her eyes.

Satsuki looked at the friends sternly, "I have invited you all here for a reason. Nui, as well as Ryuuko and Mako, will also be attending us tonight. Oh, and one more guest."

Another door opened and Soroi entered the room, guiding a fortunately clothed Mikisugi Aikuro, the head of the Nudist Beach Extraterrestrial Investigation and Defense Corps, into the room. The once secret organization was now a government-funded project to monitor the stars and prepare humanity for another Life Fiber invasion or other extraterrestrial threats.

"Greetings! Though, perhaps I should say long time no see." He spoke to all of them. Nui wouldn't know it, but he wasn't lying. It had been a good six months since the final battle against Ragyou, and he had been busy with his new position and the mounds of bureaucratic paperwork that went with it. This was his first visit to the mansion in a long while.

Ryuuko entered the room at that point, and noticed the unexpectedly large number of people in the dining hall, including the still-standing Nui and the clothed Aikuro, whose position would be better described as posing than standing.

"What's all this, sis?" Ryuuko looked around at all the familiar faces, "Some sort of high school reunion?"

"Very funny," Nonon smiled wryly, "But given the situation, do you honestly think Satsuki-chan would summon us all here for idle chat?"

"Jakuzure-san is right!" Gamagori spoke, his voice every bit as deep and as loud as Ryuuko remembered, "That being said, we have also yet to learn what this meeting is about!"

Ryuuko sighed and sat down, resting her hand on her cheek with an unamused expression plastered on her face.

Aikuro smiled looking over at the black-and-red haired girl, "Ah, I see you've brought Senketsu. It's good to see Sochiro's biggest project back in one piece."

Ryuuko nodded, but gave Aikuro that wary look she used to give him back when he was masquerading as her homeroom teacher.

Soroi checked his pocket watch and looked up at Satsuki. "The food is ready, shall I have the chefs bring it in?"

"Very well. Nui, Mikisugi-san, please, have a seat." Satsuki gestured to the table for emphasis and did the same, sitting at the head of the table.

Aikuro nodded and took the other seat, resting his arms on the table, intertwining his fingers and placing them in front of his mouth, waiting patiently for the food to be brought in.

Once everyone had been served, Satsuki nodded, and Aikuro began his explanation.

"We have recently detected an unidentified object growing closer to Earth," Aikuro began, "We haven't been able to pinpoint it's size or composition, but it's giving off highly irregular energy signatures reminiscent of life fibers."

Everyone stopped eating and looked at him with wide eyes, save for Satsuki, who he already told, and Inumuta, who nodded.

"That makes sense," the blue-haired tech savvy replied, "We resisted one of their takeovers. Since life fibers feed off of energy of the nervous system, creatures with strong wills would naturally give them more energy. They're interested in us."

"Precisely," Aikuro flashed Inumuta a grin before growing serious once more, "At first we assumed the propagation of Life Fibers throughout the universe was random, but it seems now that the Life Fibers have some driving force that makes their decisions and guides them to planets that are naturally prone to harbor them and aid their propagation."

"In short, we can only assume this will mean more invasions." Satsuki replied.

"Of course, this is only the case if the space object turns out to be comprised of Life Fibers." Aikuro reaffirmed, "Though, we should be prepared for the worst. Which is a problem for two reasons."

Satsuki nodded, "The last time we stopped a life fiber takeover, It took the power of all our Goku uniforms, and even then, Senketsu had apparently been destroyed in the ordeal. I highly doubt either would be willing to risk that again."

"Moreover," Aikuro added, "Senketsu has yet to regain his memories. I don't even know if he and Ryuuko would be able to properly sync up until then."

"Then there's Nui," Satsuki turned to the girl, "I hesitate to say this, but if she regained her memories, there's really no telling what might happen. She could become a valuable ally with all her abilities, or she could go back to the way she used to be."

"Also," Inumuta replied, "There's the mysterious third guest that appeared with Nui and Senketsu three nights ago. I've been decrypting information stored on the hard drive, but without a name I'm lost. The only information on a synthetic hybrid is with Nui, but I've been systematically searching through the entire database. Hopefully I'll find something to shed light on the situation."

"So, basically, we're up the creek without a paddle again," Uzu pointed out before taking another bite.

"But last time, we had a paddle, you silly doggy!" Nonon pointed out, grinning like a cat, "Well, it was more like a battleship, but whatever. Think before you make bad metaphors."

"Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say we've found ourselves underdressed for the occasion." Iori offered, walking into the room with an unamused look on his face.

"Is something wrong, Iori?" Satsuki asked, standing up.

"Well, two things," Iori began, "One, our mysterious quest has woken up."

Satsuki's eyes widened, "Did he do anything?"

Iori nodded, holding up his arm. It was bleeding, "Yeah, but I'm fine, it's shallow. The problem is Mankanshoku-san."

"Mankanshoku!" Gamagori's eyes widened and he stood up quickly.

"M-Mako!?" Ryuuko panicked in a similar manner, grabbing Iori by the collar, "Why was Mako with you!?"

"I have no idea! I was monitoring him and Mako came in, I think she got lost," Iori began, "but just as she came in, he woke up and-"

"WHAT, WHAT THE HELL DID HE DO TO HER!?"

"I don't know!" Iori yelled. He could feel himself being lifted slightly off the floor by the angry girl, "After he busted out of his restraints, he just kind of… I don't know, grabbed her and she passed out! Then he tried to leave. I managed to subdue him and place him in a holding cell, but I don't know how strong he is."

Satsuki cursed under her breath, "This is bad timing, but we have plenty strong fighters here. Nui. Return to your room until further notice. Soroi will open the heavy doors. Ryuuko, Senketsu, come with us. We may need your ability. Elite Four, I no longer command you, but…"

Gamagori stood up, bellowing with his strong voice, "We will stand by you until the end, Satsuki-sama!"

Satsuki smiled, "Alright, let's go. Iori, please lead the way! Mikisugi, be ready to contact Nudist Beach if he escapes my mansion."

Aikuro nodded, and the party headed off, ready to suppress any potential threats. It was, as Satsuki pointed out, incredibly poor timing, but with her loyal friends and her strong-willed sister at her side, she was confident that they would pull through this.

_**To be continued...**_


	8. Ketsuya

**Chapter 8: "Ketsuya"**

Nui sat alone in her room, her mind still focused on the image of her attacking Gamagori. Something bugged her about it.

Her arms.

She knew her arms had been removed at one point from the scars just below her shoulders. Those arms, she gathered, were replacements.

Yet, strangely enough, she felt as though she had seen those arms before. Used against her in another battle she fought.

"_I will save you, Nui!" _

The voice was accompanied by an unrecognizable silhouette of a man, his arms similar in pattern to the arms she was given.

She couldn't remember any details, but the little fragments she could remember, the images and memories she could make out through the hazy fog of her currently clouded mind, made her incredibly sad for some reason.

Suddenly, another image flashed in her mind. Another person impaled at her hands. His skin was covered with black patches and green lines running throughout, and he was bleeding heavily.

_I'm sorry, Nui… I couldn't save you." _

He collapsed, and the very memory of it drove her to tears, for now, she finally had a name connected to that man, a name she whispered as the tears streamed down her face.

"Ketsuya…"

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 14 Years Ago:<em>

"Come, child. Go back to your room," Ragyou smiled warmly, but the feelings young Nui got from them didn't coincide with the deceitful smile.

"No… NO! I don't want to go in there! It's… cold… and dark…. Please don't make me go back there!" young Nui begged.

Ragyou gave her a cold look, "Any minute now, my husband will return. He does not yet know of you, and I intend to keep it that way."

"I… please… NO!" young Nui sobbed.

As Ragyou hauled Nui off towards the dreary place that was her "room", a figure came to stand in the hallway.

"Ragyou-sama… if it's not to much trouble, I can watch over Nui for the time being. Sochiro rarely ever comes to my lab unless I call for him, so she'll be out of his sight."

The voice belonged to a lean man who appeared to be in his late teens. He had ruffled, slightly unkempt black hair and gentle brown eyes, and he smiled as he looked down at Nui. Notably, he possessed two sets of canine teeth, but aside from this, he had no other special features.

Ragyou looked clearly irritated, but nevertheless she forced a smile, "Ketsuya, how thoughtful of you. Nui is in your hands, keep her out of Sochiro's sight."

"Come on, Nui!" He beckoned, and the once-panicked girl was now cheerfully rushing towards the young man.

"Ketsu-nii!" She smiled happily, hugging his leg as she reached him.

Ragyou looked on, frowning disapprovingly, as the two headed off.

* * *

><p>Nui remembered very little of Ketsuya.<p>

Part of it was her age at the time. She was rather young, and inevitably old memories fade with age. This is true even for life fiber hybrids.

However, every time she reached back to think upon a memory of the mysterious man, it was almost like there was an invisible force stopping her. She wondered if it was her way of shutting out the emotional trauma of having killed him as well, yet something else told her that the source had been something external.

Her mind immediately flashed to Ragyou.

That woman sent chills up her spine every time she thought about her, and yet she had the distinct impression that she had manipulated many things about her in the past.

She frowned, clutching her knees. She felt so helpless. That was all she had known since she woke up; helplessness. Everyone in the little world she could remember hated her, she could barely remember anything, and the one good memory she had was of a man she didn't remember at all. On top of that, she was the one who killed him.

Sure, Satsuki, Ryuuko, and Senketsu said they would give her a second chance, but she could tell her very presence made them uncomfortable. And now, when a crisis arises, they lock her up in this hallway because they're afraid of her.

"It's… it's not fair…" she sobbed. She hadn't even realized she was crying until she choked on her own tears trying to speak.

It was fair, she realized. It was entirely fair. She didn't remember all of the things she had done before, but she deserved every bit of this, if not more. She had two deaths on her hands, and she had tried to kill a third, at least.

_This is my hell… This is my retribution. A world where everyone is against me and I'm completely alone… this is it… I'll be slowly forced to remember all the horrible things I've done while everyone around me forces smiles and pretends to care…_

For the first time she woke up, she wished the girl that was Harime Nui had just stayed dead.

* * *

><p>Aikuro, Gamagori, and Iori had helped the on-site doctors to escort Mako to the infirmary, while the rest made their way to the chamber.<p>

The crisis, however, appeared to have passed. The group had managed to get the mysterious man chained up in the holding cell, his unkempt black hair obscuring his eyes as he slept once again.

"The chains are made from sturdy material that cannot be broken by life fibers. Not even my Bakuzan or your Scissors Blade would be able to cut through it," She explained, "Luckily, our mother underestimated my preparedness when she imprisoned me in Honnoji… I shudder to think how long I would've been imprisoned had I been incapable of breaking my shackles."

"Have a little bit of faith in your Elite Four, Satsuki-chan!" Nonon scoffed in mock offense, "Even the monkey would've blindly rushed in to save you."

"You used 'blindly' on purpose, didn't you!?" Uzu yelled, gripping his practice sword angrily. He didn't make good on his threatening motion, though, leaving Nonon untouched.

"So what if I did, monkey?" Nonon smiled wryly, "At least you don't look like a ninja turtle anymore."

"So, the threat's resolved, for now?" Ryuuko asked. Satsuki was almost positive she detected a slight hint of disappointment in her voice.

"For now, yes," Satsuki affirmed, "Though, I will constantly monitor this hall, and we will have to hasten our investigation. I do not wish to assume the worst of this mysterious guest, but he did attack Mako. It's possible that he, too, does not remember anything. I hesitate to fight him without learning anything first. If he's not hostile, he too may make a valuable ally against the potential invasion on the horizon."

The remaining Elite Four members present and Ryuuko nodded, and Ryuuko added, "I'm gonna get back to Mako, I want to make sure she's okay."

She began heading off, and Inumuta replied before heading off in the other direction, "I'll also take my leave. I want to return to my work on the hard drive as soon as possible."

Satsuki and Nonon stood alone in the hallway, silent for a good five minutes before Satsuki leaned up against the wall and slowly slid down it, sighing heavily.

"Satsuki-chan?" Nonon asked. It had been a while since she actually looked down upon her friend. The last time had been in her fight with Ryuuko, but that time it had been in a teasingly cocky manner. Now, her look was filled with concern.

"I'm fine, Nonon, just exhausted. I've had a lot on my mind, and a lot has been going on… It's hard to find sleep these days," Satsuki commented, pulling herself to her feet. She leaned on Nonon for support, and Nonon smiled.

"I haven't had a lot to do these days, you know," Nonon began, "You should call on me to help more. I'm right here, you know. I'm always right here."

It wasn't flirting. Satsuki realized that, for the first time, Jakuzure Nonon had said something to her that wasn't done in a teasing, flirting, or joking manner. She was being genuinely sincere, something that not even Satsuki got that much, and it make the black-haired woman smile.

As the two headed away from the cell, Satsuki took the time to question her relationship with everyone. She supposed Nonon had a point. The pink-haired girl had always been the closest one to her. She didn't want to show favoritism; all of the Elite Four were fiercely loyal in their own way. Yet not even she could deny it anymore. Nonon was the only one who knew her true self. The underlying kindness over the cold exterior. Nonon had known her when her father revealed the truth behind her mother to her, when he had planted the seed of rebellion in her heart. Nonon had known her before she had hardened herself to the world to prepare for what was to come.

Whether or not she shared Nonon's feelings for her was irrelevant, because Nonon was still one of the closest people to her heart.

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 17 Years Ago:<em>

"Ha… ha… ha… " Sochiro panted. He turned down one of the hallways, carrying the silent newborn girl in his arms.

_I… I've got to leave… no… not yet… Satsuki must know of Ragyou's evil… I have to bear with this life until she's old enough to understand… but Ryuuko…_

He looked down at the baby in his arms and frowned, whispering to her, "I'm sorry, Ryuuko, but daddy's going to have to leave you in the hands of my friends for a bit. I can't be a good father to you yet…"

He turned down another hallway, but halted when the dark figure of a young man stood in his way.

"Ketsuya… do you intend to stop me?" Sochiro asked, his voice still a hushed whisper. He dreaded to think what would become of his daughter if Ragyou found she were still alive.

"Heh," Ketsuya laughed, grinning his toothy smile. His extra set of canines giving him a more feral appearance, "I might be born of life fibers… but I assure you, I'm on your side."

"Huh?" Sochiro asked, eyes wide, "Why would you help me?"

"Humans are… interesting," Ketsuya smiled, "Ragyou's a bitch. I like humans more. Besides, there's… someone I want to protect from Ragyou too."

Sochiro, despite himself, couldn't help but grin at that. The last bit made him question his wife even more, but there'd be time for questions later.

"Go, this way, escape through this hallway. There's no servants over here, and you can use the trees as cover once you get outside," Ketsuya replied, pointing down. "I'll distract Ragyou if she asks for you, but I don't know how much time I'll be able to give you."

"It's okay," Sochiro reassured him, "I know where to take her, it shouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes."

Ketsuya nodded, and he and Sochiro parted ways.

Just as Ketsuya said, the halls were devoid of butlers or servants, and he was able to use the forest just outside one of the mansion's windows as a cover for anyone looking out. Once he reached the gate, he rushed into the car, Ryuuko in the seat next to him, and drove off into the rainy night.

_**To be continued...**_


	9. Memories

**Chapter 9: Memories**

There were so many potential threats approaching that Senketsu had to agree with Aikuro, it would be best if he regained his memories as soon as possible.

As the two walked down the hall, Senketsu wondered if Ryuuko was thinking the same thing. She would normally try to fill the silent moments between them with conversations or stories about his forgotten past.

But now, she just walked on, a serious look plastered on her face.

"Ryuuko," Senketsu broke the silence, his deep voice a sharp contrast to the quiet moments before, "We should try to sync."

"What, NOW?" Ryuuko asked, it was a sudden request from Senketsu, and she wasn't entirely sure if here was the best place to try.

"Of course not," Senketsu replied, "but the way I see it, most of my memories have been triggered by familiar sensations. Ever since you started wearing me, I've been slowly gaining them back. Along with your stories, they've helped a lot. However, most of our memories fighting happened while we were synced up. Your stories have helped… but…"

"But you think that if we synced up, they'd come back faster, right?" Ryuuko finished, "I agree. Once we find out if Mako's okay, we'll see if we can sync up, alright?"

Senketsu nodded, and the two headed onwards to the infirmary.

* * *

><p>Gamagori looked down at Mako, a worried expression plastered over his angular face.<p>

"Mankanshoku…" he muttered. If Iori heard him, he showed no signs of it.

"It's… strange…" Iori mentioned, "She's not injured externally, but she's missing a good liter of blood… It's almost like how a kamui would take blood… come to think of it, when he first woke up… when he awoke, his feral reaction was very similar to Junketsu's…"

Aikuro frowned, "So… some sort of living Kamui…?"

"I wouldn't image," Iori replied, "Such a thing couldn't possibly exist, and if Ragyou had successfully created one, surely she would've used it in the final battle."

"That's true," Aikuro closed his eyes, deep in thought, "Dr. Matoi would've warned us about such a threat as well, had he known of it."

Ryuuko entered the room and immediately looked over to Mako.

"She'll be okay," Iori announced immediately, "Somehow, our 'guest' managed to drain her of her blood, but it wasn't a lot. She doesn't even need a transfusion. A simple saline solution will do the trick."

"Thank goodness," Ryuuko replied, leaning back. All threats were now dealt with, at least at the moment, and Mako was fine.

"Aikuro," Ryuuko replied, "I've been meaning to ask you… but do you have another one of those gloves?"

Aikuro looked over at Ryuuko, then looked up, as if he was remembering something, "Oh, right… the glove wasn't originally part of Senketsu…. it was originally worked into his design, but because it wasn't technically connected to him, I guess it didn't… well… come back like Senketsu did."

Iori looked over, "There's still many mysteries about how Senketsu and Nui came back, but I've done a couple of experiments, and I have a few solid theories. I assume none of you are going to leave until Mankanshoku wakes up, so care to hear some out?"

"Sure," Aikuro smiled, "I've been curious to share some of my theories as well…"

_Oh great, the two scientists are becoming friends._

"We already know there are types of specialized fibers, like the banshi that hold the goku uniforms in tact. Senketsu had multiple banshi, but whether this is true of all kamui or a unique fail-safe designed by Sochiro Kiryuuin is unclear. Furthermore, when Ryuuko cut Nui's arms off, they completely dissolved into life fibers. From that, we can deduce that synthetic hybrids, like Nui, are fully comprised of life fibers, despite their human appearance. Furthermore, Ragyou, who was partially human, has not revived. Perhaps, and this is only a hypothesis at the moment, beings fully composed of life fibers have the ability to reassemble themselves over a length of time, perhaps through some sort of specialized banshi that records their original shape. Damage done to life fiber beings by the Scissors Blade is not repaired, it seems, as Nui's arms had to be stitched back on later."

"Her head was stitched back on too, though…" Ryuuko replied.

"That's likely due to the fact that it was a self-inflicted, intentional wound." Aikuro replied.

"So," Ryuuko pondered, "They're effectively immortal?"

"If my theory is correct, in order to revive, enough life fibers are needed to reassemble the being from scratch, and if the specialized banshi is destroyed, they won't be able to revive at all." Iori replied, "Of course, this is only speculation at this point, and I don't think testing this particular trait of life fiber beings would be ethical."

Aikuro nodded, "Yeah, but for now, it's a pretty good possibility. To be honest, I was going to say something along those lines."

"Except," Iori began, "It doesn't explain why Junketsu hasn't reassembled as well, nor does it explain why all of the reassembled life fiber beings were in the same place."

"Or," Ryuuko replied, looking down at Senketsu, "Why their memories are gone."

"Well, we don't exactly know if the third guest has lost their memories, but it's a pretty good possibility." Iori replied, "He seemed… confused when he woke up… though I really couldn't tell anything for certain."

Suddenly, Mako shot up from her lying position and looked around frantically.

"Huh, what… what's this?" she looked around cheerfully, as if nothing had happened, "Eeeehhh? Gamagori-senpai!? And there's Mikisugi-sensei! And Shiro-san too! Ryuuko, is this a surprise party!?"

"Mako, this is the infirmary," Ryuuko explained, "you were attacked, remember?"

"Huh? Attacked… really? I don't remember anything… Wait! We need to finish packing! We don't want to be late to Satsuki-san's dinner party!"

"Wait! Mako, we finished packing, remember? We're already at Satsuki's house!" Ryuuko replied.

"Huh? I don't remember that at all!" Mako smiled.

Suddenly, it clicked. The mysterious guest was there with Senketsu and Nui the night they collapsed, and they also lost their memories.

"It's him!" Ryuuko exclaimed, "He's the one responsible for Senketsu's lost memories!"

* * *

><p>Nui hadn't remember falling asleep, but when she woke up, her head ached immensely.<p>

In fact, the pain was getting worse… and every time she closed her eyes, a new flood of memories were returning to her.

"Ah… no… I don't want to see…" Nui cried, falling off her bed, "I don't want… no… stop!"

She grabbed her head, but the flood of memories wouldn't stop. Why? Why were they coming back now!?

Another murder, someone she didn't even know and wasn't important. Ragyou was in another one, the two were naked, and Nui distinctly remembered the woman's touch between her legs. Violating. It all felt so wrong and violating.

Then yet another memory, another glimpse of the past. She was young, playing around with the same "Ketsuya" she had remembered before. This memory was pleasant.

Then yet another fragment. A young Nui begging Ragyou to stop whatever she was doing, then searing pain everywhere. When it stopped, she appeared older, and looking at the reflection, she had a disturbing smile on her face and a blank look in her eyes.

Then, suddenly, her world went black.

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 10 Years Ago<em>

"Nui," Ragyou smiled, "Nui, relax… I assure you, this is neccessary."

"No, No! Ragyou! Don't!" young Nui yelled. There was no -sama. She had long since lost all respect for the woman.

Nui appeared around 10 years old, yet was lying completely naked on some sort of table. She had been tied down, and Ragyou was looking down at her and frowning.

"What is is that makes you hate me so?" Ragyou frowned, "It was Ketsuya… wasn't it? He tried to turn you against me before he left with my traitorous husband!"

"Ketsu-nii was right about you…" Nui replied, "You only see me as a tool!"

"No, of course not, Nui!" Ragyou smiled, caressing the young girl's body.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Nui screamed, trying to avoid the rainbow-haired woman's hands.

"Hmph… fine… Ketsuya has corrupted you with his lies… it seems," Ragyou replied, "So, I will erase all memory of him."

"N-no! Please don't!" Nui yelled, but Ragyou had already retrieved a special thread of life fiber.

"A mind-thread!" Ragyou smiled, "After I put this in you, you'll forget everything! You'll only know me, you'll only serve me! You'll despise everything else! I had tried to let you grow up normally… but your resistance must be stopped. I'm taking matters into my own hands!"

"No, stop!" Nui begged as Ragyou brought it ever closer.

"You'll also need an older body. A servant of mine shouldn't look so young. With this, my ideal Grand Couturier shall be born!"

"No! Please! STOP!" Nui yelled, but it was too late. Ragyou had quite violently shoved the life fiber into her head, and it started weaving it's way into her brain.

Suddenly, the pain hit. She could feel her body twist and stretch, she could feel her bones extending, growing. She could feel her muscles tearing and reforming and growing longer to accommodate her new body. Her organs grew, expanding rather painfully as her ribcage and skeleton tried to catch up. She could feel all the growing pains at one time, and she could also feel her mind burn as memories of her past were locked away by the intrusive string.

Tears streamed down her eyes as the process continued, and just when she thought it would go on forever, it stopped, and even the memory of the pain she had experienced moments before was locked away.

"Nui," Ragyou looked down at the now older girl. She was now the same age that she would stay up until the final battle and beyond.

The girl looked up with an empty gaze and a creepy smile, "Ragyou-sama!"

Ragyou looked down upon the young girl and smiled, "Harime Nui! The Grand Couturier! Welcome!"

* * *

><p>Inumuta was working on extracting any information he could on the mysterious guest when he glanced over at another one of the monitors. He had been doing a lot of his work in the security room, checking the monitors every so often.<p>

This time, two very disconcerting things were occurring at once.

Harime Nui was on the floor, clutching her head and screaming her lungs out in her room. Inumuta figured she was regaining some of her memories, but it seemed like there was no sign of her stopping.

That wasn't as bad as the second thing he was seeing.

The 'guest' was no longer bound up in his chains. They hadn't been broken either, and the locks hadn't been undone. It was completely inexplicable. Luckily, the cell was still locked so it appeared couldn't get out, however, the fact that he was able to escape his chains meant he might also be able to get out of the cell somehow.

Suddenly, as if the man could sense he was being watched, he glanced over at the security camera, then spoke.

"Memories…"

His voice was that of a normal human's, but his tone was enough to send chills down Inumuta's spine.

"I… I need… I need MEMORIES!"

In that instance, the security camera's feed was cut, and Inumuta immediately jumped out of the seat.

He needed to warn the others. This 'guest' of theirs is hostile, and he might not be as locked up as they thought.

* * *

><p>Nui remembered everything, and with her memories, came something she had barely felt since she had woken up that very first day.<p>

Relief.

"It… it wasn't my fault!" Nui smiled, "Ragyou brainwashed me, she manipulated my mind… the real me… the real me that's been locked up this whole time… I'm finally free!"

Nui smiled, Her throat hurt a little since she had been screaming so much, but aside from that, she felt a distinct sense of liberation.

Of course, she could never truly say she was innocent. Whether she had been brainwashed or not was irrelevant; there was still blood on her hands. Yet now that she knew that Ragyou had altered her mind to so that she'd unquestionably carry out the insane bitch's bidding, she could rest easy that the terrible person who had killed all of those people was and at the same time was not her.

And, since she was no longer plagued by that accursed mind-thread. That Harime Nui, the Harime Nui that killed Dr. Matoi, was in a sense dead.

She could only hope that the others would believe her, but even if they didn't, at least her conscience was clear. She could take the glares and the uneasy looks, and bear with all the hate until they trusted her.

At that thought, she pulled herself off the floor and back into the bed, closing her eyes and having the most peaceful rest she's had in a long time.

_**To be continued...**_


	10. Kindling

**Chapter 10: Kindling**

"Satsuki-sama!" Inumata yelled as he entered the room, "Satsuki-sama!"

Nonon looked over at Inumuta, "What's gotten you so worked up? Pipe down, Satsuki-chan's sleeping!"

Sure enough, Satsuki was resting her head back against the chair, eyes closed and breathing deeply and rhythmically. It would be hard to tell for any other person, but each member of her Elite Four knew her well; she was asleep.

"Oh sorry…" Inumuta replied, turning to leave, "You know what, I can't even remember why I was so panicked. It obviously wasn't that important."

Nonon frowned, "That's strange. It's not like the factual, straight-faced doggie to get worked up over something so trivial."

Inumuta frowned, "It… it is odd… the last thing I recall is I was working on extracting and searching for information on the hard drive, and then the next moment I was bolting down the hallway, yelling urgently for Satsuki-sama."

Nonon frowned, "Maybe you're just overworked… go take a nap or something."

Inumuta nodded, "That might be for the best… these past few days have been pretty taxing."

As the blue-haired tech savvy stepped out into the hallway, he clutched his head. The feeling of urgency was still there, as if he had forgotten something really important, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was.

Then it suddenly hit him, but he remembered only a bit too late. A shrouded figure dropped down behind him and enveloped him in glowing red life fibers before he could even shout.

* * *

><p><em>Three Nights Prior:<em>

Thunderous clouds roared above, a threatening message of the storm just on the horizon.

Yet Kiryuin Satsuki cared nothing of the storm. She was safe in her mansion, sipping her tea quietly as she watched the flashes of lightning outside of her large window.

To be honest, she was bored. Unbelievably so. She had spent her whole life preparing an army to fight against her mother, and now that she was dead, she almost felt lost.

For the longest time, she had sat and done nothing, but only a few days prior, she chose to purge the mansion of her mother's past actions, and she did so in the most drastically destructive way possible, as was only suitable for her.

With fire.

Her mansion- or, rather, the parts that were still standing- was still plenty big, and the most necessary of repairs had already been finished. Yet all too quickly the satisfaction of that last action- her last act of rebellion against her twisted mother, a huge inferno that represented the end of everything Kiryuin Ragyou had created- faded, leaving Satsuki with an inextinguishable sense of emptiness.

When you spend your whole life seeking one goal, and accomplish it so early, what is there left to be done?

Satsuki had, quite unavoidably, lost her way. So now, she sat here, trying to figure out what to do with her life next.

It could, she acknowledged, be nothing. She had an inheritance that would last her five lifetimes of luxury. She could quite literally sit back and not do anything else with her life and she'd never once have to worry about running out of money.

But such a pampered life suited only those who had no talents of their own, or were too slothful to care much about the ones they had. Satsuki would not allow herself- could not allow herself- to be so pointedly lax about her future.

As she paused in her thoughts to take another sip of tea, she heard a pattering on her window that signified the first signs of the approaching storm, the heavy winds carrying the droplets diagonally as they began to assault the mansion.

She sighed once more. Perhaps she should confide in Nonon about everything. That's what friends were for, after all.

Nonon, Gamagori, Inumuta, even Uzu… they all had goals. She did not. Not anymore. They called her their leader… they looked up to her… and yet she was the one so hopelessly lost.

How well could a blind leader guide sighted followers? She no longer could accept them as her subordinates. Now, they were her friends, and she needed them as much as they needed her.

A few moments later, however, Soroi knocked on her chamber door, a panicked tone clearly evident.

"Satsuki-sama!" He called, "There's… something you need to see. Come quickly."

Satsuki sighed yet again- she had been doing that a lot lately- and exited her room to follow Soroi. She didn't need to ask him what it was about. She trusted him. If he said it was urgent, it was urgent.

The walk to the front door took a good three minutes thanks to the size of the house, and when she entered the foyer, she immediately saw what was so urgent.

"H-Harime Nui!" Satsuki spoke in shock. The girl was naked, soaked, and lying on her back in the foyer. Along with her was another, unrecognizable man, also unclothed, and a familiar sailor uniform; dark blue fabric accented with red.

"What is the meaning of this?" Satsuki turned to Soroi.

"My apologies, Satsuki-sama… I did not wish to leave them out in the rain, so I brought them inside. You may choose how to deal with them from here on," Soroi bowed.

Satsuki waved her hand dismissively, "I don't mind that… but… Harime Nui… How is this possible!? I'm going to contact Iori. Have them dressed in hospital gowns and taken to the infirmary immediately! Also, restrain Nui. I don't want that psychopath running about my mansion should she wake up."

"Yes, Satuski-sama," Soroi bowed, and Satsuki headed off to call Iori.

Yet even as she worried about Harime Nui, she couldn't ignore the sense of excitement in her heart. Her soul-searching could wait… perhaps she still had a purpose after all.

* * *

><p>Ryuuko had figured out everything.<p>

After he heard Iori explain to him everything that happened 3 nights ago, she realized why Senketsu and Nui lost their memories.

Now, she just needed to tell Satsuki before he managed to steal anyone else's.

"Ryuuko… we should sync," Senketsu replied pointedly.

"Not now, Senketsu!" Ryuuko replied, "We can experiment later! I have to let Satsuki know about the third visitor!"

"No, Ryuuko!" Senketsu replied, "We're taking a risk here. For all we know, he might still be able to get out of his cell! If we encounter him out here, we're both in danger!"

"Senketsu…" Ryuuko looked down, then frowned, "To be honest, I don't really know how to sync with you without the glove!"

"W-what?" Senketsu frowned.

"I mean, I know you need to be in contact with my blood…" Ryuuko began, "But I don't really know how it works! The first time, it just kind of happened after you forced me to wear you, then Mikisugi helped once with a needle, and then he gave me the glove!"

"So, just… cut your finger open or something… I guess?" Senketsu replied.

"I don't have time for that, I've got to get to Satsuki!" Ryuuko yelled, rushing forwards even faster.

She stopped abruptly, however, when she saw a web of life fibers laid out across the hall where Satsuki was.

Senketsu frowned, "It's him! It has to be!"

Ryuuko gritted her teeth. If she touched one of these strings, she had no idea what would happen. Maybe they would trap her, or perhaps it would tell the memory-stealing man where she was. Either way, she didn't want to risk it.

"What do we do now, Ryuuko?" Senketsu asked.

"I don't know… but I think there's someone who does…" Ryuuko replied.

_But… am I really about to ask Nui for help?_

* * *

><p>Approx. 13 Years Prior:<p>

"Are you sure here is safe?" Sochiro asked, whispering.

"Positive," Ketsuya replied, "Ragyou seldom ever comes here, and I've ensured she's particularly distracted."

Sochiro nodded, "Very well. I've done all I can do. I've told my daughter of Ragyou's evil… It's time for me to 'die'."

"Well, I wish you luck," Ketsuya replied, "but this is where we part ways."

"You should come with me," Sochiro added, "Your insight will be invaluable in the construction of Senketsu."

"But what of Nui?" Ketsuya replied, "I can't just leave her here… Ragyou is sure to continue to mistreat her until she is little more than a broken soul."

"If you take that child with you, my wife will hunt you down to the ends of the earth," Sochiro explained, "She's got her eyes set on Nui. You can only do what I did and hope it will work. Plant the seeds of rebellion… then she will choose her own path."

"I'll… consider it," Ketsuya replied, "It's not that I don't want to help, but-"

"I understand," Sochiro replied, turning to leave, "Now, I must go. If you decide to aid me, you know where to find me."

Ketsuya nodded without another word, and watched Sochiro head off.

* * *

><p>Nui was somewhat alarmed when the door to her bedroom opened abruptly. Ryuuko was standing there, clad in Senketsu and with an urgent look in her eyes.<p>

"Ryuuko?" Nui asked, "What are you doing here?"

"I… I don't want to ask this, but I need your help…" Ryuuko replied, "How much do you remember about life fibers?"

"Actually, I remember everything now!" Nui replied happily.

Ryuuko was clearly not as thrilled about that as Nui was, for the next moment she had grabbed the girl and pinned her against the wall.

"Wh-what!? DAMNIT! Why now?" Ryuuko yelled.

"W-w-w-w-wait!" Nui pleaded, "I uh… this is kind of… I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses… but I was brainwashed by Ragyou!"

"Brainwashed?" Ryuuko asked indignantly, "To hell with that! As if I'd believe a load of bullshit so blatantly-"

"Ryuuko…" Senketsu spoke sternly, "Of the memories I have regained, one of them seems to have been of you in a similar situation. You even tried to kill Mako."

Ryuuko's eyes widened, and she looked down, "You- you remembered THAT?"

"It's quite possible that Nui is telling the truth," Senketsu pointed out.

"Tch…" Ryuuko frowned, but released Nui, "I can't bring myself to believe that!"

Then, she whirled around and punched Nui as hard as she could.

"RYUUKO!" Senketsu yelled.

"There… I did it…" Ryuuko replied, "I finally decked ya for all the shit you did… now that you can remember…"

Nui nodded, smiling, "It's fine, I deserved that."

Ryuuko then held her arm out to Nui, "Come on, then. If I can really trust you, then prove it."

Nui nodded and reached up to grab her hand and felt Ryuuko pull her to her feet. "I'll help however I can."

**_To be continued..._**


	11. Steps Back Steps Forward

**Chapter 11: Steps Back; Steps Forward**

_Approx. 13 Years Prior_

"You look like an old man," Ketsuya pointed out. He had shown up unannounced to Dr. Matoi's laboratory, and was now sitting and drinking tea while holding one of Matoi's new weapons, "What's this thing for?"

"The Needle Blade is designed to target a life fiber being's banshi and remove it," Dr. Matoi explained, ignoring the old man comment, "It will be an invaluable tool to fight against the life fibers."

"Hmm…" Ketsuya replied, giving the garment a few test swings and jabs, "cool. Anything else?"

"Well, I've been busy gathering recruits for Nudist Beach," Matoi pointed out, "In fact, one of them should be stopping by the lab any moment."

"Alright, maybe I'll stick around then," Ketsuya stated. In reality, he didn't really have anything better to do, but he wanted to make it sound like he had other plans prior.

A gentle knock on the door startled the two, and when Dr. Matoi opened the lab door, Ketsuya's eyes widened.

"A school girl? The best you could come up with is a school girl?"

The uniformed girl with short, dark brown hair shot him a stern look, "Matoi-sensei… who might this be?"

"Oh, don't mind him, he's one of my other assistants," Matoi explained.

"Well, tell your assistant that I, Kinagase Kinue, am an accomplished honor student and soon to be high school graduate who refuses to be looked down upon because of my age!" the girl retorted.

"Tempermental…" Ketsuya muttered not quite under his breath.

"Hey! You don't look too much older than me, actually!" Kinue pointed out, "You're like a pot calling the kettle black!"

"I'm older than I look," Ketsuya replied quite bluntly, "Don't bash heads with someone you don't know, you'll be surprised how outclassed you are."

The black-haired man grinned wryly, revealing his two sets of canines, and Kinue crossed her arms, looking ready to say something else.

"Get along, you too," Matoi spoke sternly, "I'm older than both of you, and this is my lab. You will work together nicely."

Ketsuya frowned, but Kinue turned and bowed respectfully to Dr. Matoi. "S-sorry, sir."

As she began talking with Dr. Matoi, Ketsyua sat back, looking over some of the plans the man had. Some were rather ambitious, like a ridiculously oversized battleship, the S.S. Naked Sun, and some needed work, like his plans for the preliminary Senketsu, but a lot of them impressed the life fiber hybrid.

Perhaps with this, Nudist Beach could in fact win against Ragyou.

* * *

><p>Satsuki woke up and her eyes widened at the scene.<p>

Nonon was suspended from the ceiling by life fibers, completely bound and seemingly unconscious.

Inumuta was suspended next to her in a similar state, and standing before them was the black-haired guest, gazing at Satsuki with blank eyes.

Satsuki immediately fell into a defensive stance, but without her sword or Junketsu, she felt naked and defenseless against him.

"Mem...memories…" He replied, reaching one strained hand up to his head, "Me...memories… I need… memories…"

Satsuki frowned. Perhaps communicating with him was her only chance of not winding up like her friends, "Memories?"

"Empty… I… can't remember… I need… memories!" He lunged at her and she dodged to the side, barely evading his now clawed hands.

Upon closer inspection, it looked as though the grey fabric that Satsuki had initially thought was clothing he had found was in fact fused to his skin. Thin wisps of steam came off of it, and it actually looked as though his skin was burning and reforming perpetually.

"What, you mean, your memories are gone? Are you looking for your memories?" Satsuki asked. The more information she could find out, the better, though he didn't seem to be in a very coherent state at the moment.

"Gone… gone… need…" Was all he responded. "You… memories… you have…"

He lunged at her once more, but stopped and sniffed the air, as though he were feral, then turned around, "Not right… you're… like them… not right memories."

"You mean…" Satsuki began, "Since we're human, and you're a synthetic life fiber hybrid… you can't steal our memories?"

Before he could answer, however, the man turned his head towards the ceiling and took another big sniff before turning towards the door.

"There… right memories… someone… with right memories… comes," he stated.

"Does that mean… Harime Nui has…?" Satsuki asked, though more to herself than him. It hardly mattered. After she spoke, the man bolted out the door, ready to attack.

Satsuki collapsed soon after, frowning. She was exhausted, and she was defenseless against this threat.

"It's up to you now, Ryuuko…" Satsuki asked, "It's up to you to save us once again."

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 15 Years Ago:<em>

A young, 7-year-old Nui ran up to Ketsuya as he worked in his lab and buried her face in the side of his leg.

"Nui, what's wrong?" Ketsuya asked, bending down and pulling the young girl into a hug.

"Ketsu-nii! Ragyou-sama wouldn't let me out of my room again! It was really dark, and I was scared…" Nui cried.

"How long this time?" Ketsuya asked. He was focused on being comforting, but a silent rage was bubbling inside him.

This hadn't been the first time Ragyou trapped the girl in her room, and Ketsuya knew it wouldn't be the last. She'd do it on a whim. If Nui misbehaved, or broke something important, or even just when Ragyou didn't feel like dealing with the child, she'd keep Nui in her "room", which was a small, unlit room with no purpose. The floor was concrete and the walls were covered in cobwebs. Ragyou had quite intentionally soundproofed it so Nui's sobs couldn't be heard without opening the door.

The room worked exceptionally well at scaring poor Nui, who was afraid of the dark. It was nothing short of torture.

"Uh… maybe two days… it's hard to tell…" Nui replied.

"I'm sorry, Nui…" Ketsuya replied, "It's safe now. You're safe with me, I won't let Ragyou put you back in the room."

"She always does it when you're not around to save me!" Nui complained, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Then I'll just have to stick around more, won't I?" Ketsuya smiled, patting the girl on the head, "Come on, you must be hungry. Let's get you something to eat."

Nui nodded, a faint smile on her face, as the two made their way to the kitchen.

_That bitch Ragyou is going to pay one day. Bear with it a bit longer, Nui. One day her torment will cease, I promise you that._

* * *

><p>Ryuuko had planned to find Satsuki, but after seeing the red threads around her room, she had formulated a different plan.<p>

Find Nui. Return to infirmary. Discuss with the others what they should do.

She had accomplished one third of that plan now, but the second third was proving to be rather difficult.

"It's like a spider web," Nui pointed out, "These life fibers are connected to something. I'd be willing to bet if we so much as brushed one, it would give away our exact location."

"Damn," Ryuuko cursed, "This was the quickest way to the infirmary, too."

"Here, come this way!" Nui pointed to a smaller hallway, "We can take some of the lesser-used halls… it'll take more time, but we'll be able to get through without being noticed."

"Wait… how do you…." Ryuuko was about to ask Nui how she knew her way around, but then she realized that _of course _Nui would know the mansion's layout. She had been an enemy up until now.

_Not willingly._ She reminded herself. Of course, it was still hard to bring herself to believe that.

"Nevermind," Ryuuko replied, "But if you try anything funny, I still have Senketsu."

_She doesn't need to know that I can't actually activate him._

Senketsu gave Ryuuko an unapproving look, but didn't say anything.

Nui nodded, "I'll prove to you that you can trust me, alright!"

There was something in her eyes that made Ryuuko desperately want to trust her, but she just couldn't. Not when she was the person who killed her father.

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 10 Years Ago:<em>

"You're going to leave?" Matoi asked, surprised. The two were in the corner of the lab, talking, while Kinue took notes on a recent experiment they had just finished.

Ketsuya frowned, "Something's happened to Nui. I often scout around the mansion to see what Ragyou's up to, but I haven't seen Nui outside in days. I can't just do nothing about it."

Dr. Matoi frowned and scratched his beard, "Do yoou intend to fight?"

"No," Ketsuya shook his head, "I only plan on rescuing Nui from wherever Ragyou is keeping her. I will only fight if need be."

"We need your assistance, Ketsuya," Dr. Matoi frowned, "You're the only one who's made a kamui before."

"You know more about the nature of life fibers than even I, and I'm made out of them." Ketsuya replied, "Besides, you talk as if I won't return."

Ketsuya flashed Dr. Matoi a toothy grin and grabbed the Needle Blade off of the wall it had been mounted on. As he turned for the door, Kinue looked over at him quizzically.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"Field testing," Ketsuya lied. Without another word, he left.

Kinue turned to Dr. Matoi, "But haven't we already-"

"That reckless child," Matoi replied, "He's off to the the Kiryuin mansion!"

Kinue's eyes widened, and she rushed out after him, with a "Ketsuya, wait!"

* * *

><p>Two thirds of the plan were complete. They had made it to the infirmary.<p>

"Everyone!" Ryuuko shouted as she walked in, "The life fiber hybrid's escaped!"

Gamagori stood up and nearly hit his head on the ceiling, Aikuro looked at Ryuuko with great urgency, and Mako glanced up at all of them with a look on her face that said "I have no idea what's going on."

"What of Satsuki-sama?" Gamagori asked.

"I don't know. The halls leading up to her personal lounge are blocked off by life fibers," Ryuuko explained.

Gamagori puffed out his chest. "That means Satsuki-sama is in trouble! We must aid her!"

"Hold on, Gamagori," Aikuro replied, "Remember, our opponent is a life fiber hybrid. You no longer have your Goku Uniform, and without Senketsu's glove, Ryuuko can't transform."

Nui looked over at Ryuuko, who was whistling innocently.

"We can't just do nothing!" Gamagori shouted.

The door to the infirmary shot open, and Uzu rushed in before collapsing.

"What? Sanageyama-san!?" Mako shouted.

"I made it past the life fibers…" he explained, "I overheard Satsuki talking to the hybrid… he… he lost his memories too… it seems he's looking for them."

At that, Uzu passed out, and Iori frowned, "Perhaps he was attacked too."

"More importantly," Aikuro replied, "I think we just about figured everything out. Our hybrid here lost his memories and seems to be searching for them. Right now, he's like a black hole, with no memories, anyone he attacks loses their own. He's sucking them up, trying to find his own. I guess it doesn't work as well on humans as life fiber beings, since both Nui and Senketsu lost a majority of their memories, whereas Mako only lost a few hours of hers."

"Where do I stand, then?" Ryuuko asked. Aikuro gave a shrug.

"So, what can we do?" Iori asked.

Nui, who had been staring down at the floor for the longest time, stepped forwards.

"I'll fight him!" She declared.

Everyone turned to her at the same time and yelled, "WHAAAAT?"

"Maybe it's risky since he can steal my memories… but it's the only chance we have. Ryuuko's pretty strong too, but she's not used to fighting without Senketsu. I'm the only one accustomed to fighting without a kamui or Goku Uniform who can match the strength of a life fiber hybrid." Nui stated.

Ryuuko wanted to argue with her, but everything she had just said made perfect sense.

"Nui…" Ryuuko looked over at her, yet, even before she could say anything, the door was blown off it's hinges.

It was him. The hybrid.

Nui turned to look at him and gasped, and from her lips came only one word.

"K...Ketsuya…"

_**To be continued...**_


	12. Old Flames

**Chapter 12: Old Flames**

_Approx. 10 Years Ago:_

"So… you have come, Ketsuya," Ragyou spoke.

Ketsuya turned. He had found himself in a previously nonexistent dead end. Ragyou must've done some remodeling after he and Sochiro left.

"Where is Nui?" Ketsuya asked, clutching the Needle Blade in his hand tighter.

Ragyou pointed, and the once dead end rolled up like a curtain to reveal the the older Nui.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HER?" Ketsuya asked, whirling around to glare daggers at Ragyou.

"I've made some… modifications, as you can see," Ragou smiled sadistically, "Now she's much more cooperative…"

"Ragyou-sama… who is this man?" Nui asked blankly.

"Wh-what!? You… you wiped her memories!?" Ketsuya growled.

Ignoring Ketsuya, Ragyou turned to Nui, "He's… an unnecessary nuscience. Do me a favor at get rid of him."

"Ragyou… you bitch!" Ketsuya charged at Ragyou angrily, holding the Needle Blade forwards like a rapier.

His attack was met with a frilly pink parasol, and Nui's face popped out from behind it.

"What did you hope to accomplish with a sloppy assault like that?" Nui mocked, a smile on her face.

"...Nui…" Ketsuya frowned.

"Hmm? You know my name?" Nui asked.

"Pay it no mind, Nui, just finish him quickly," Ragyou smiled.

Nui thrust her parasol forwards, only for Ketsuya to parry her strike. He then counter-attacked, but Nui saw it coming and side-stepped out of the way. She swing her umbrella once again towards Ketsuya, but he blocked the blow with the back of his arm and tried to maneuver around her.

"It's useless!" Ragyou smiled, "You're both life-fiber hybrids… evenly matched in speed and strength."

She was right, Nui shot in front of him and stabbed at him with the pointed tip of her parasol. However, she frowned when she felt it stop suddenly. It should've impaled him.

"Heh," Ketsuya smiled, "You say we're evenly matched, but is that true?"

Suddenly, the shirt he had been wearing burned off of him, and he revealed dark grey skin underneath.

"W-what is that?" Ragyou asked, eyes wide.

"You said hybrids like me and Nui could never wear a Kamui… and that's true… it's impossible for a synthetic life fiber hybrid to wear one… however… by allowing all the life fibers comprising my skin to resonate, I can draw out a power similar to a Kamui's… in other words…"

"Instead of a Kamui becoming your skin… you've turned your skin into a Kamui!" Ragyou replied, shocked.

"Don't think this is something Nui can just learn, either…" Ketsuya smiled, "There's a secret technique to make it work right. As she is now... Nui will never be able to learn this."

Using his enhanced power, Ketsuya shot straight at Ragyou and impaled her with the Needle Blade.

"It's still useless! You're far too weak to defeat me!" Ragyou yelled. She punched Ketsuya away and threw the Needle Blade at him.

He caught the blade and made a couple more strikes, yet his efforts were futile. Despite how quickly he stabbed holes into Ragyou, they healed almost instantly.

_This kind of weapon is useless against her… not only that but…_

He looked down at his arm. It was hard to notice from a distance, but the grey skin was burning and reforming due to the immense amount of energy flowing through it. In truth, the technique he had developed was not perfect. While he could draw out the power of a Kamui using his own life fibers, it put this kind of strain on his body, and he wasn't able to fight very long with Life Fiber Resonance.

_I'm running out of time… I can't… I can't waste any more time just standing around!_

He charged forwards, but he was already starting to feel the strain on his body. For a brief moment, his leg was unable to heal as quickly as it was burning, and he stumbled. Using this opening, Nui swung her parasol like a baseball bat and knocked him through one of the walls of the mansion into one of the laboratory rooms.

"Hehehe, I see, I see!" Nui smiled, "You're 'Resonance' technique is a double-edged sword! You're hurting yourself too! Did you really think you could keep fighting like that?"

Ketsuya tried to get up, but he failed to. If he stopped using Resonance, he'd leave himself open to attack, but if he kept this up, then he'd wind up losing anyway.

He fell into a box of discarded sheets of life fiber cloth, and Nui looked down at him, laughing at his pathetic attempt.

"You're weak! You're so weak!" Nui smiled, "It's useless! Useless! USELESS!"

As she yelled, she got ready to plunge the pointed tip of her parasol into his limp form, yet she felt resistance again. He was still using Resonance.

"You're still at it? You'll wind up killing yourself!" Nui laughed maniacally, "Die a stubborn fool's death!"

"Heh…"

He got up, wrapped in a cloak of life fibers, and smiled, "Thank you, Nui."

"What!? You… your skin is-" Nui exclaimed.

His skin had changed once again. In addition to the grey surface covering everything, bluish green lines ran up his arms, across his torso, and disappeared underneath the cloak. His skin was no longer burning away, and he wore a confident grin.

"Thank you, Nui," Ketsuya repeated, "Without you, I would've never been able to perfect this technique! By channeling all the excess energy into the life fiber cloth, I'm taking the strain off of my body!"

"He's… he's figured it out…. it's not exactly the traditional method, but he's… he's wearing a KAMUI!" Ragyou replied, shocked.

Ketsuya gave a toothy grin, "Now, Ragyou, you'll die here! I will save Nui at all costs!"

He charged past Nui and brought his Needle Blade up into a fencing stance.

Ragyou frowned, "Haven't you realized it's useless!"

He plunged the needle blade into her shoulder and immediately pulled it back, pulling out a life fiber in the process. He then brought the red string up to his mouth and cut it with his extra set of canines, cutting it from both sides.

Ragyou's shoulder spurted blood, and the wound didn't heal.

"W-what!? You…" Ragyou asked, frowning.

"That's it, I figured that out too…" Ketsuya smiled, "While I was working on Junketsu, I naturally used my teeth to cut some of the threads… Now I know why you gave me these teeth! If you cut a life fiber on both sides, it won't mend itself."

He stabbed the Needle Blade into the floor, "But this blade is horribly inefficient, don't you think? What I need are a pair of scissors!"

He held out his arms and they warped in shape, sharpening their edges like blades. He then held them crossed in front of him, ready to slice like a pair of scissors.

"Your arms, you…" Ragyou yelled.

"With Resonance, the life fibers that made up by body can be changed and shifted to any shape… I've never had this much control over it until now…"

He charged at Ragyou, ready to slice of her head from both sides.

_I wasn't expecting to get this far… Sochiro… Your daughters won't have to grow up in a world where they'll have to fight… I'll finish this now! Nui… I promise… Ragyou will pay for everything she's done to you!_

"This is the end Ragyou!" Ketsuya yelled, "I'm sending you straight to hell!"

Suddenly, however, Nui came to stand in front of Ragyou, and Ketsuya stopped dead in his tracks.

"Nui… move! That woman brainwashed you! She's done terrible things to you in the past! She's not someone to protect!"

"Ragyou-sama… has only ever shown me kindness… You're a nuisance…" Nui spoke.

Ketsuya clenched his teeth, glaring at Ragyou… "You… you coward… hiding behind a brainwashed servant!"

"Oho?" Ragyou smirked sadistically. She had stepped behind Ketsuya,drawing a katana strong enough to cut life fibers, "When did I ever say I was _hiding?_"

She quickly sliced off both of his arms and smiled, "It's over."

"T-the Bakuzan! When did you…?" Ketsuya began, "It doesn't matter… I can still heal them…"

"Look where your arms landed before saying that, silly!" Nui smiled.

Ketsuya looked at the floor, where a tank filled with green liquid sat. His arms had both landed into it, and Ragyou pressed a button, closing the lid.

"A life fiber nullifying serum!" Ketsuya noted, shocked.

Despite reverting back to normal and falling limp in the nullifying liquid, they still held the appearance of his Resonance, dark grey with bluish green lines running up them.

"I'll keep these around… maybe I'll figure out that technique of yours." Ragyou smiled, "I have a feeling they'll prove useful in the future."

Ketsuya gritted his teeth, taking a tentative step back.

_I'm… I'm finished… there's no way I can fight two-on-one like this… I don't even want to fight Nui…_

He took a look at the Needle Blade sticking out of the ground and quickly formulated an idea.

_That's it! That's the last chance._

He thread some extra life fibers into the cloak he was wearing and twisted it into a makeshift arm, then charged at the Needle Blade and grabbed it.

He then pulled a life fiber thread out of his own head and tied it to the eye of the Needle Blade.

"This is it! My final attack!" He yelled. He gripped the Needle Blade as hard as he could, then threw it at Ragyou.

She side-stepped it easily, and it went flying out into the hallway and out one of the windows harmlessly.

"Fool! What were you trying to do with that?" Ragyou asked, "Furthermore, that fake arm you made won't hold up any longer… it's already tearing. You wasted your last attack on something pointless! Nui, finish him off!"

"Yes, Ragyou-sama!" She smiled, taking the Bakuzan and plunging it into his chest. He coughed up blood and looked up at the girl, smiling sadly.

"Sorry, Nui…" He spoke weakly, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you."

For a split second, Nui's eyes widened, and he thought he saw a glimpse of sadness in her eyes.

He closed his eyes and allowed his body to fall to the floor.

_I didn't waste my last attack… The life fiber I tied to the Needle Blade contains all of my memories… Sochiro… Dr. Matoi will be able to get important information from it. How to cut life fibers… how to make a Kamui… He will take my will… and use it to fight Ragyou… I can die… with only one regret. Nui… I was too weak to save you… but maybe one day, you can be saved…_

And with that, his world went black.

* * *

><p><em>Approx. 10 Years Ago<em>

"He's gone… isn't he?" Kinue asked Dr. Matoi.

The man had returned with the Needle Blade clutched in his hands… frowning. He had seen it, the thread tied to the handle, "He became another victim of Ragyou's evil…"

Kinue looked down, and it took Dr. Matoi a while to realize she was silently crying.

"Kinagase-san…" Dr. Matoi frowned.

"He only wanted to protect Nui… she was probably like a sister to him, right?" She asked, "I too have a younger brother… so I know how he felt… It's… it's not fair!"

Dr. Matoi looked down as well, "He charged in recklessly… It's not like there was anything he could have done alone."

"I was going to stop him, but after he explained why he was going… I couldn't bring myself to stop him…" Kinue frowned, "It would've been selfish of me… and yet…"

She clenched her fists, "I… I want to be selfish… if I had known this would happen… I would've been selfish!"

Matoi frowned, "This is the war we're in, Kinue… I know it's hard. Ketsuya has been a great ally to me as well… but we can't let his sacrifice go to waste. This thread… is a special type of life fiber called a memory thread. Inside it is his memories… his will… There's undoubtedly valuable information on this thread. His memories wouldn't linger very long without this, so this must have been one of his last acts."

Kinue nodded, wiping her tears, "We… we can't give up! No matter what! Ketsuya was a life fiber being, yet he was on our side… I believe humans and living clothes can work together in harmony! I believe in Ketsuya… I believe in life fibers!"

Dr. Matoi nodded, "We will create a kamui that will put an end to Ragyou's evil for the sake of mankind. The real fight starts here."

_**To be continued...**_


	13. Atonement

**Chapter 13: Atonement**

"Ketsuya…" Nui frowned. It was him. Of course it was him. She should've realized it the second she regained her memories.

Synthetic life fiber hybrids had a subdued sense of family relation, since in reality they didn't have brothers or sisters, only creators and fellow creations. Yet her feelings of kinship towards the fellow hybrid were nothing short of intense.

He had been the only one who had ever showed her kindness when she grew up. He had been the one she ran to when Ragyou locked her in her dark room or tortured her or violated her. Even after he betrayed Ragyou and left with Sochiro, he had still been watching over her from a distance, and that very thought was the only thing that kept her sane.

Then Ragyou took everything from her, brainwashed her, and she wound up being the one to kill him.

Now that he was back, she had to face him again.

"Nui…" Ryuuko looked over and frowned.

The twin-tailed girl shook her head, "No… it's fine… everyone's counting on me, right? Let me prove to you that I can be trusted!"

Nui charged at the feral Ketsuya, not entirely sure what she was going to do, when she felt life fibers wrap around her leg. She crashed to the ground and was lifted upside-down like a snare.

Ketsuya lunged at her, and Nui squeezed her eyes shut. He had apparently been the one to steal her memories before. That time, he had helped her by ridding her of Ragyou's brainwashing and allowing her to discover her old memories, but if she lost her memories again…

_No._

Nui's eyes shot open, and she felt the familiar but yet disorienting sensation of being in two places at once.

It had been a while since she used _Mon-Mignon_, and she was only able to create one, but that would be enough.

Using the free body's teeth, she cut the life fibers entangling her leg and freed herself. Her clone took the hit for her and vanished, but now that she was free, she used the opening to punch Ketsuya out the infirmary doors and into the hall.

Still, despite the strong hit, his Resonance was still protecting him, and Nui frowned. It would be hard to get any good hits in on him, and the ones she landed would hardly do anything.

_I have to drag this out as long as possible… without a Kamui to channel the energy into, he's putting a tremendous strain on his body… sooner or later, his own power will take its toll._

"Ketsuya!" Nui yelled, "Please, remember me! I'm not your enemy!"

"Mem...memories… No… memories…" Ketsuya replied, he got up and charged her once more. She side-stepped, but he was one step ahead of her, and he managed to land a hit. She was knocked backwards and landed roughly on her back, knocking the wind out of her.

She coughed as she got up, and punched him back. This one had been weaker than her first, and it barely managed to knock him back. He recovered quickly and swept the ground with a low kick, knocking her back down again. He grabbed her off the ground and frowned.

"Not… memories… not right memories…" he replied brokenly, tossing her aside and turning his attention back to the room. He crouched slightly, then broke off into a run.

Ryuuko frowned, grabbing Uzu's practice sword and holding it out in front of her. She stood defensively between in the doorway of the infirmary, though without syncing with Senketsu, she wasn't entirely sure how well she'd be able to stand up to the hybrid.

"To hell if you think I'm gonna let you hurt Mako again!" Ryuuko yelled.

"Ryuuko, are you sure about this?" Senketsu asked.

As Ketsuya came ever closer, Ryuuko found herself behind Gamagori.

"G-Gamagori, what are you-" Ryuuko began.

"Allow me… allow me to be the one to protect Mako," Gamagori asked, "Besides, this man is the one who imprisoned Satsuki-sama!"

"Gamagori…" Ryuuko replied, "Fine, fine… do what you want."

He nodded and turned to face Ketsuya, "I don't need a Goku Uniform to take out a savage like you!"

His large fist met Ketsuya's face and the hybrid was blown back from the impact. The force was enough to crack the wall behind him when he hit it, and his body couldn't heal as fast as it was burning. Blood spurted out of his arms and legs as he tried to get up, but it was useless.

Nui had already climbed to her feet, and was now standing over the feral hybrid.

"I'm sorry, Ketsuya…" Nui replied, "No… the old you… he's already dead… isn't he? He died back when… I…"

The hesitation was enough. Ketsuya managed to climb to his feet. He grabbed and pulled out one of the life fibers that had been used to stitch her head back on. Blood spurted from the wound, and Nui grabbed at her neck, wide-eyed.

He held up the string and sniffed at it like an animal before tossing it away, and then turned to sniff the air again.

As Nui fell to her knees, her eyes widened.

_That's it. He _is _searching for his memories. The string he had pulled out of his head and tied to the Needle Blade… those must've been his memories. That's why he threw the blade out the window… that's why he's searching for life fibers beings… he's looking for a specific life fiber. The one that contained his memories._

"Nui!" Ryuuko yelled, running over to the bleeding girl, "Are you okay?"

"I got it! I realize it now… he… he literally is looking for his memories…" She spoke. Then she noticed it. Tucked away in Senketsu's lapel was a single life fiber that seemed oddly out of place.

_Of course! That's it! He gave his memories to Sochiro… and he used the life fiber when making Senketsu!_

"Please excuse me, Senketsu," Nui spoke. She dug her fingernail into his fabric and pulled out the out-of-place life fiber. Senketsu's eye went wide and he started yelling uncontrollably.

"N-Nui!" Ryuuko yelled.

"Don't worry… he'll be fine… trust me…" Nui replied.

Senketsu stopped shortly after, and opened his eye.

"Ryuuko… I… I remember everything," Senketsu replied, "Thank you for putting up with me even when I forgot you."

Ryuuko shook her head, "Thank you for trusting me, even though at first I was a total stranger to you…"

Nui smiled, "The extra memory thread in his system wasn't a problem before, but after he lost his memories, it must have been interfering with his amnesia… that's why I regained my memories before he did… and I think that's also why he wanted to trust me… because Ketsuya would've…"

Nui turned to the man standing nearby. She held up the string for him, "Ketsuya… looking for this?"

He sniffed the air and his eyes widened, "Memories… my… memories…"

Nui smiled, "Yeah… these are your memories!"

He walked up to her and sniffed at the life fiber, "Memories…"

Suddenly, however, his expression grew grave, and he glared daggers at Nui, "Stole… you… stole memories!"

Before she could react, she felt a clawed hand impale her. Coughing up blood, she looked down. Her pink sundress was slowly turning red, both from the blood from her neck and her new wound.

"Nui!" Ryuuko yelled, wide eyed.

In spite of her injury, she raised her arm weakly and held the life fiber thread up to Ketsuya's forehead, where it began to glow and disappeared into his head where it belonged.

"I'm glad… Ketsuya…" she spoke weakly, "I'm glad I was able to save you…"

For a split moment, Ketsuya's eyes widened, and Nui caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes.

And then her world went black.

_**To be continued...**_


	14. New Fires

**Chapter 14: New Fires**

_Three Months Later:_

The fluorescent light cast by the old sign of Kasen's cafe flickered on and off as dark clouds loomed above. A heavy wind blew through the streets, as thunder roared from the clouds above.

Ryuuko stared dully out the window, wondering if it was a coincidence that it was always ready to storm when she came here.

She leaned back with a heavy sigh and took a sip of her tea. She was never really a huge coffee drinker in the first place, and even if she had been, she wouldn't come here to drink it. Tasty cakes, pastries, and tea were their order of business, but their coffee was pretty sub-par.

That fact also explained why Satsuki hadn't touched hers since her first sip. Ryuuko had advised her against it, but Satsuki downright refused to drink tea made by anyone but Soroi. Ryuuko had bitten back a snarky comment for the sake of maintaining the seriousness of why they came here.

"Mikisugi-san tells me he's confirmed the existence of a life fiber object, possibly a ship, headed straight for the planet." she spoke calmly, yet the grave undertones didn't go unnoticed by Ryuuko.

"Man, what a pain!" Ryuuko frowned "Ragyou wasn't lying when she said the life fibers would come for us again… but I thought it was a random thing… if they can literally send life fibers to earth... I guess all the lights in the sky are our enemies now, huh?"

Satsuki gave a wry smile, "That's one way of looking at it… though it's not like we can change anything by complaining about it. We have no choice but to fight."

"Well, at least I have Senketsu back," Ryuuko smiled, looking down at the uniform she was wearing. Senketsu looked up at her, but didn't speak. He didn't need to. She already knew his feelings.

_It's good to be back, Ryuuko._

Satsuki nodded, "Iori managed to collect enough life fibers from the… incident three months ago that he may be able to reconstruct Junketsu."

Ryuuko looked down. The "incident", as they had decided to call it, was still a bit of a sore subject for Ryuuko.

"She… she's gone for good this time, isn't she?" Ryuuko asked.

Satsuki looked into the black depths of her very mediocre coffee and sighed, "Ryuuko…"

"I know, I shouldn't be dwelling too much on the past… it's just…" Ryuuko paused, she wasn't sure what she thought of Nui, but she no longer saw the girl as an enemy, "I… I never got to tell her that I forgive her."

Satsuki smiled sadly, "You've… grown up, Ryuuko."

"Shut up, sis…" Ryuuko looked down. Satsuki almost missed the single tear that fell from behind her younger sister's lowered bangs and into the tea she had been drinking.

* * *

><p>"Oho, what's the doggie working on this time?" Nonon asked.<p>

"I finally found the full files on Ketsuya… now that I have a name to go off of," Inumuta replied factually, "Not that it matters, who knows where he ran off to?"

Ketsuya had escaped shortly after regaining consciousness, though with his memory back, they weren't exactly worried he'd go around attacking everyone. They _did _ask Nudist Beach to keep an eye open for him, just in case, but Aikuro had insisted that everything was peachy.

Aside from the confirmed approaching life fiber invasion, that is.

"What did you find?" Nonon asked, she feigned disinterest, but she was genuinely curious.

"Project Eve…" Inumuta replied, "Apparently, Ketsuya's not the only synthetic life fiber hybrid we didn't know about."

"You mean… there's more of them!?" Nonon asked, "Jeez, jeez, and I thought two was more than enough."

"Odd thing is, it doesn't seem like Ragyou was aware of them either before this point," Inumuta replies, "She speaks of Nui as being her creation, Yet while she speaks of 'modifying' Ketsuya in much the same way as Nui… she talks of him as if she had discovered him. In this data entry, she states that- you know what… just read it yourself if you're so curious."

Inumuta turned the monitor towards Nonon and she, with a "hmph", leaned over onto the desk to read the article.

_Data Entry: 10487_

_Please Confirm Authorization_

_Authorization Code: **********_

_Checking Authorization…_

_Authorization Failed_

_Please Re-Enter Code: ****_

_Checking Authorization…_

_Error- Internal Corruption Detected _

_Error Code 5150_

_Data Security Breach Detected_

_Initiate Emergency System Shutdown? Y/N_

_N_

_Authorization Confirmed._

_Displaying Entry Details:_

_Author: Kiryuin Ragyou_

_Subject Matter: Project Eve_

_Date: 24-7-20XX_

_The subject, "Ketsuya", as he calls himself, recovered from the modification process at an astonishing rate, and regained consciousness long enough for me to question him. It appears that the subject is a remnant of Project Eve, though my knowledge on the details of this only go as deep as Ketsuya's own._

_The boy seems loyal enough. Apparently he's conditioned to follow the orders of the highest ranking human servant of the Primordial Life Fiber, and so far he has followed my instructions unquestioningly thus far. I see no reason to perform a mental refitting, and I will refrain from taking any drastic measures until they are necessary._

_While this "Project Eve" puts me at unease, and I will have to research this matter later, If Ketsuya is only a "fragment", then imagine what the extent of "Project Eve" entails. Perhaps I will find not one or two strong soldiers, but an entire army._

Nonon shuddered.

She had always thought that Ragyou was the super-evil mastermind behind the life fiber, but if there was a project that even she didn't know about, who knows how many people in the past tried to do the life fiber's bidding.

Romans, she had recalled, were iconic for their red color scheme, and they _had _built a pretty expansive empire.

"It appears Ragyou failed to uncover anything else," Inumuta replied, "There are no other entries about Project Eve, and Ketsuya's knowledge was limited as well."

Nonon sighed, "Does that mean there are or aren't more life fiber hybrids running around?"

"Who knows?" Inumuta replied, "I'm looking for more entries about where or how she found Ketsuya, but I haven't found anything of interest yet."

Nonon looked up at the ceiling and threw her arms back behind her head, "This is troublesome… and here I thought I'd actually get some downtime to write a few scores…"

"You just going to sit around flirting with Satsuki most of the time anyway," Inumuta replied as if he were stating a fact. Nonon's face became pinker than her hair as she blushed.

"W-what kind of person do you think I am, stupid dog!?" She turned away, "It's… not like Satsuki feels the same way about me…"

Inumuta frowned but Nonon had already regained face, "T-tell her I said that… nonono… speak of this to anyone at all, and I'll burn your computer!"

"Whatever… whatever…" Inumuta replied, "It's not like I want to get involved with any of your problems anyway."

Nonon sighed and headed out the door, leaving Inumuta to work in peace once again.

* * *

><p>The neon bar sign flickered on and off outside the quite infamous Ibuki Bar as the rain drenched the area outside. It was evening on a Friday night, so naturally the bar was packed.<p>

Two cloaked figures sat in the back corner of the bar, though neither were drinking. Instead, they were hunched over a small radio, listening to the news broadcast.

"Earlier today, the Nudist Beach Extraterrestrial Investigation and Defense Corps announced the confirmation of an alien formation approaching the planet. PR Representative Kinagase Tsumugu, didn't go into much details, but he assured that the situation was being monitored carefully and that the public should not be alarmed.

"_Let me give you two pieces of information," _Quoted Kinagase-san at the emergency conference held earlier today, "_One, the situation is entirely within Nudist Beach's capacity to handle, and Two, our organization has faced and dealt with extraterrestrials of this variety before. Panic will only make the situation worse!"_

"Nudist Beach refuses to reveal any more details regarding the situation, but they have urged the public to remain calm and not take any drastic measures. We will continue to provide you with regular updates as we get new information."

One of the figures leaned forwards and flicked the radio off, replying in a masculine voice, "Looks like things are about to get hairy…"

the other figure leaned back, and in a feminine voice, answered, "Well, humanity did fight off a Life Fiber invasion before, it's only natural that this planet's a target…"

Suddenly, a large, burly man walked up to the corner table and frowned, "Did I hear ya say "Life Fiber, ya punk?"

"My my, such a temper…" the second figure sighed teasingly, "What if I did?"

"Heh, I want to know exactly how you know that term…" he replied, "And if ya don't want to tell me, I guess I'll just have to beat it out of ya."

"You looking for a bar fight?" the first figure stood up. His cloak still obscured his face, but his lips curled back into a grin, revealing two sets of canine teeth, "I'll be happy to oblige."

The burly man lunged at the cloaked figure, who hit him with a kick strong enough to send him flying through the nearby wall.

"You should've thought twice about underestimating me," the figure replied, grinning.

The burly man rose to his feet and glared at the two cloaked figures before smiling, "That kick… was definitely super human. You're a hybrid, aren't you?"

The cloaked figure's grin immediately turned to a frown and he watched the guy's wounds and scratches heal themselves quickly.

"P...Project Eve…" The cloaked figure muttered. He turned to his partner, "Let's bail before this gets serious."

The second figure nodded and the two fled out the bar and into the rainy night. As they continued running, they ran past a small cafe, with an old, flickering sign that read Kasen's.

_**-Fin-**_

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><p><strong>AN: Alright, finished (again!). Once again, I don't know how this story got deleted last time, but it was probably my own stupidity (or some other technical problem). This was the part where I offered people to submit OCs for a sequel (that I'm still planning on writing... eventually... so don't worry about that.) but I got enough submissions and I really don't know when I'm even going to write the sequel, so for all intents and purposes, that's closed.<strong>

**Once again, if you left a review on this story before the accidental deletion, I would appreciate it if you would re-review here, and if you're new to the story, feel free to leave a review anyway!**


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